 | |
| Abbreviation | IBAF |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1938 |
| Type | International sport federation |
| Purpose | Sport governing body |
| Headquarters | Lausanne, Switzerland |
| Location | |
Region served | Worldwide |
Membership | 124 National Federations |
Official language | English, Spanish |
President | Riccardo Fraccari |
Parent organization | WBSC |
| Website | www.IBAF.org |
The International Baseball Federation (IBAF) is the former worldwide governing body of baseball. It has since been superseded by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), and continues to exist as the WBSC's baseball division. Between 1944 and 1975, it was known by its Spanish-language name, as the Federación Internacional de Béisbol Amateur, or FIBA.
Prior to the establishment of the WBSC, the IBAF was the sole entity recognized by the International Olympic Committee as overseeing the sport, and as the designated organizer and promoter of major international tournaments like the Baseball World Cup (originally the Amateur World Series) and the Intercontinental Cup. It also organized the inaugural World Baseball Classic (WBC), in cooperation with Major League Baseball, in 2006.
One of its principal responsibilities as the WBSC's umbrella is to organize, standardize and sanction international competitions, using the WBSC name, among baseball's 124 national governing bodies through its various tournaments to determine a world champion and calculate world rankings for both men's and women's baseball. Its offices are housed within the WBSC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland—the Olympic Capital.