Olympic Games - 'Team Scotland' gets green light for Rio 2016
If Scotland votes to break away from the United Kingdom, Scottish athletes who competed for Britain at the 2012 summer Olympics in London would not be eligible to do so with that country in Rio.
And it has been suggested that Scotland would not be able to secure independent Olympic status membership in time for the next Games - but the IOC's pledge that Scotland's stars will not be adversely affected effectively amounts to a promise that a 'Team Scotland' would be welcomed to at Rio 2016.
Whether they would be able to compete under the Scottish flag, or simply as a de facto Scots team under the Olympic flag, is yet to be determined and would still hinge on IOC status.
"We respect democratic decisions. We always do. But you can see from previous decisions we have been taking in similar cases that we are always safeguarding the interests of the athletes," IOC President Thomas Bach told Reuters.
In order for Scottish athletes to compete under an independent flag in Brazil in less than two years time, should they vote in favour of independence, they would need a national Olympic committee (NOC).
For that to happen and for the NOC to be recognised by the IOC it would first require a United Nations recognition of the independent nation of Scotland.
The rival campaigns in Scotland's fight over independence are running neck-and-neck nine days before the referendum, with a surge in support for those who wish to break away from the UK.
The number of people saying they would vote "No" to independence has dropped to 39 percent, down from 45 percent a month ago. Latest polls suggest that "Yes" support is slightly behind at 38 percent, but it has grown significantly from 32 percent a month ago. With the race so close, the large "undecided" vote will decide which way the nation goes.
More than four million Scots and residents of Scotland are eligible to vote in next week's referendum.
Tennis player Andy Murray, cyclist Chris Hoy and rower Katherine Grainger are among the Scots who won gold medals for Britain in 2012.
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