Housed within the federal Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport, the National Sports Council or the High Council for Sports (Consejo Superior de Deportes, CSD) is the government agency responsible for sport policy in Spain. The CSD is charged with the planning, promotion, and development of physical activity and sports while also serving as the connection between the government and Spanish Olympic Committee. The CSD works in coordination with local authorities, regional, state, and local governments, other ministerial bodies, universities and schools, and the private sector, including professional sports leagues, to execute strategies.

The national sport policy, which includes objectives by the year 2030, aims to encourage sport and physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle for youth and adults. The plan prioritizes: (a) support for school sports, (b) support for university sports, and (c) promoting physical activity for all to combat a sedentary lifestyle. Although the directives for sport are highly centralized within the CSD, the execution of grassroots or community sports is largely done through the 17 autonomous regions. The 17 regional governments are tasked with regulating sport at different levels, managing their own sport services, overseeing the territorial federations and clubs, organizing competitions, constructing facilities, and certifying sport qualifications for high-performing athletes. Each region governs differently. By law, town councils serving populations of more than 20,000 inhabitants are obligated to provide sport services for their citizens.

Sport in Spain is implemented through clubs, groups of clubs, sport federations, or professional leagues. Embedded within the sport structure and operating throughout the whole of the country are the National Sport Federations. Sport federations are private entities with the responsibility to promote their sport specialty and to design and carry out plans for top performing athletes. There are 65 national sport federations in Spain, 30 of which can send athletes to the Olympics and thus report to the Spanish Olympic Committee. The Olympic committee, in coordination with the national sport federations, the Sports Council, and the Ministry of Sport, have created a plan of care to promote high-performance athletes. The Program of Care to the Sportsman is designed to provide comprehensive services (medical, education, performance, etc.) to the most elite athletes aiming for international podium success. The qualification process for elite athletes is highly structured and driven by national laws that govern elite sport.

Spain relies heavily on public and private sector financing for sport. The 1992 Barcelona Olympics marked the first time the CSD accepted sponsorships. In 2021, the CSD granted €251 million (approximately $276 million USD) to sport, health, and facilities — 95% more than in 2016. The government hopes sport will be one of 10 levers to revive the economy post-COVID.

Currently, there is no specific mechanism within the sport system for athletes to report abuse. Allegations of illegal behavior are processed through Spain's police and judicial system.