In English, DIF translates as the Danish National Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation. DIF is an umbrella for 61 sports federations and some 14,000 local clubs, divided into national, regional and municipal level. Founded in 1896, DIF is the oldest multi-sports organisation in Denmark. By 1918, it represented more than 400 associations with approximately 60,000 members. Today, DIF boasts 1.7 million members, or 30 % of the entire population.

The organisation is headquartered at Idrættens Hus (House of Sports) by the Brondby FC football stadium south of Copenhagen. A number of related organizations are also housed here including Team Denmark and Anti-Doping Denmark, as well as most Olympic sports associations.

In addition to helping coordinate many thousands of events each year, DIF and the national federations also provide training and education programs in virtually all sectors of sports. Every year some 40,000 people attend DIF courses in management, coaching, player training, psychology, youth sports and sports medicine. National organizations are supported to the tune of around 700 million kroner (EUR 94 million) annually through proceeds from the national lottery and betting pools. Although the government financially supports these activities, it rarely interferes with them.