Over the past few decades there have been clear signs that the situation of sports archives is improving. Seminars have been arranged around topics related to sports archives and historical research, archival and other journals have dedicated special issues to sports archives. Sports organisations, cultural institutions and public administrations have also reached agreements aiming at safeguarding sports archives.

The decision by ICA to accept the inauguration of a special section on sports archives (ICA/SPO) as a clear sign that the archival profession as a whole was ready to take this matter seriously.

This special issue of Comma, devoted to questions regarding sports archives, to traditions in handling them, to specific national projects and other themes, should be seen as a contribution by SPO to improving the level of awareness of sports archives and to highlighting their special characteristics. There is, in the end, more to sports documentation than just centimetres, grams and seconds.