Short answers, pulled from the story.
A sports governing body is a sports organization with a regulatory or sanctioning function. It sets the rules for a sport, runs disciplinary procedures for infractions, and decides on rule changes. Governing bodies can cover a single sport at national level or a range of sports at international level.
About 30 international sport federations are based in Switzerland, with roughly 20 in the Lausanne area, the same city where the International Olympic Committee is headquartered.
The first international sports federations were formed at the end of the 19th century.
International federations are organized with a legislative branch, called a congress or general assembly, where every national federation holds one vote and sets sports policy. An executive branch, often called a council or executive committee, is elected by the legislative body and manages day-to-day operations.
International federations for sports outside the Olympic Games are managed by organizations equivalent to the IOC, such as SportAccord.
A 2014 study by the Institute for Human Rights and Business criticized major international sports governing bodies, including the International Olympic Committee and FIFA, for lacking sufficient provisions for human and labor rights.