Disability Sport Classifications

In order for disabled people to take part in competitive sport it is vital that there is an opportunity to compete against athletes of similar ability.

Over the years, a number of systems have evolved within national and international disability sports organisations which classify an athlete according to the level of disability. Some disability sports organisation such as CP Sport, Mencap or British Blind Sport operate separate classification systems for their specific impairment groups.

The most commonly used system at regional and national level is the PROFILE system - a method of measuring and defining functional ability across a range of impairment groups. Normal procedure involves the prospective competitor completing a classification card with a physiotherapist. This is then assessed by a national panel and the profile agreed.

Occasionally, when an athlete first receives a profile, they may be re-assessed during competition, this is often the case in swimming. The profile can be changed following re-assessment and there is an appeals procedure should the athlete feel the profile does not reflect his/her ability. Depending on the sport, profiles can be grouped together and this is the case for swimming.

Some athletes may have separate profiles for different sports or disciplines within sports. In other sports, such as Wheelchair Basketball, a points system operates alongside the profile to enable teams to be made up of a fair spread of ability.

Where rules or laws of a sport may need adapting for a specific disability, these rules can then be changed for certain profiles.

The profile system caters for the majority of physical and sensory disabilities and ensures a fair method of enabling coaches, teachers or event organisers to group disabled athletes according to ability. It also enables the identification and selection of athletes with potential.

The Classifications

Swimming

S = freestyle, backstroke and butterfly

SB = breaststroke

SM = individual medley

1-10 = physical disability

11-13 = visual impairment

S14 will be the new classification with the re-introduction of Learning Disabled Athletes into Paralympic Sport

Athletics

F = field athletics

T = track athletics

T/F 11-13 = visually impaired

T/F 31-38 = cerebral palsy

T/F 40-46 = amputees and les autres (others including dwarf athletes)

T 51-54 = wheelchair athletes

F 51-58 = seated field athletes

In Wheelchair Racing there are four categories;
T1 is for tetraplegics - with limited use of their arms
T2 is for those with arm use but paralysed in the trunk section of the body
T3 is for those paralysed from the waist down
T4 for athletes with leg amputations or low level spinal injuries

Wheelchair Basketball

Athetes are classified according to their physical ability and are given a points rating between 1 and 4.5, with 1 being the most severely impaired, and 4.5 the least.   Each team fields five players but may not exceed a total of 14 points at any given time.15 - 16 in the GBWBA National Leagues. A reduction in points is made for each female and each junior player fielded.

Equestrian - Dressage

Riders are classified into one of five levels. One being the most disabled person and level five the least.

Special Olympics

Eligability for participation in Special olympics -Word.doc

A full explaination of Paralympic eligibility and classification, sport by sport, is available on the BBC Disability Sport website

Football

Players competing in Football 7-a-side are given a sport class based on their level of disability. Eligible classes are:

C5: Athletes with difficulties when walking and running, but not in standing or when kicking the ball
C6: Athletes with control and co-ordination problems of their upper limbs, especially when running
C7: Athletes with hemiplegia
C8: Minimal disability athletes; they must meet eligibility criteria and have an obvious impairment that has impact on the sport of football.

Teams must field at least one class C5 or C6 player at all times. No more than two players of class C8 are permitted to play at the same time

Handcycling

There are three classification divisions for men (A, B & C) and a combined class for women.
A Tetraplegics
B Mid level paraplegics up to T9/10
C Paraplegics for T11 to L4, amputees, able bodied etc.