The host city is responsible for organizing and funding a celebration of the Games consistent with the Olympic Charter and rules.

[15] PASO allows nations to compete that do not meet the strict requirements for political sovereignty that other international organizations demand.

[17] The organizers of the 1951 Pan American Games in Buenos Aires planned to stage winter events later in the year, but dropped the idea due to lack of interest.

[17] In 1988, members of PASO voted to hold the first Pan American Winter Games at Las Leñas, Argentina in September 1989.

This event, inspired by the Youth Olympic Games, is exclusively for athletes who are under 21 years of age, with fewer requirements on infrastructure and cost.

Cali, Colombia; Santa Ana, El Salvador; and Monterrey, Mexico were accepted as candidate cities.

[19] Cali was chosen as the host city at the Executive Committee in San José, Costa Rica on 27 March 2019.

[20] Panam Sports chose Asunción, Paraguay as the host for the 2025 Junior Pan American Games.

The Pan American Games Movement encompasses a number of national and international sporting organizations and federations, recognized media partners, athletes, officials, judges, and every other person and institution that agrees to abide by the rules of the Olympic Charter (which is the same as PASO's charter).

[22] As the umbrella organization of the Olympic Movement, PASO is responsible for selecting the host city, overseeing the planning of the Pan American Games, updating and approving the sports program, and negotiating sponsorship and broadcasting rights.

The Pan American Sports Organization flag displays the PASO logo on a white background.

[25] The only exception was for the São Paulo games in 1963, when the torch was lit in Brasília by the indigenous Guaraní people and two ways were held as the country also hosted the 1963 Summer Universiade in Porto Alegre.

[7] The Pan American Games mascot, an animal or human figure representing the cultural heritage of the host country, was introduced in 1979 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The mascot of the most recent Pan American Games, in Santiago de Chile, was Fiu, a seven color rush tyrant.

During the 1995 Pan American Games, which was hosted in Mar del Plata, Argentina, the Argentine flag entered the stadium first, while the country's delegation entered last (similarly to the 2004 Summer Olympics in Greece) and all delegations sit in reserved areas in the stands of the main stadium.

[29] The host nation then presents artistic displays of music, singing, dance, and theater representative of its culture and history.

[29] The artistic presentations have grown in scale and complexity as successive hosts attempt to provide a ceremony that outlasts its predecessor's in terms of memorability.

[7] The closing ceremony of the Pan American Games takes place after all sporting events have concluded.

[7] After these compulsory elements, the next host nation briefly introduces itself with artistic displays of dance and theater representative of its culture.

[7] At the conclusion of each event, medals are ceremonially presented by an IOC or PASO member to the first, second and third-place finishers.

In events contested by a single-elimination tournament (most notably boxing), third place might not be determined and both semifinal losers receive bronze medals.

[7] In this form, the applicants must give assurances that they will comply with the Olympic Charter and with any other regulations established by PASO's Executive Committee.

[7] The evaluation of the completed questionnaires by a specialized group provides PASO with an overview of each applicant's project and their potential to host the Games.

On the basis of this technical evaluation, PASO's Executive Board selects the applicants that will proceed to the candidature stage.

[7] Once the candidate cities are selected, they must submit to PASO a bigger and more detailed presentation of their project as part of a candidature file.

This commission will visit the candidate cities, interviewing local officials and inspecting prospective venue sites, and submit a report on its findings one month before the PASO's final decision.