Sports Philosophy

Division into homogeneous performance groups to guarantee fair and exciting competitions. Special Olympics’ Divisioning is the fundamental difference from all other sports organizations. The Special Olympics concept enables athletes of all performance levels to have fair and exciting competitions. There are no elimination competitions, but rather competitions in different performance groups. Competitions are structured so that athletes in a homogeneous performance group only compete against athletes with a comparable performance level. The composition of the performance group (Divisioning) is based on reported best performances (Skill Tests) and preliminary performances achieved on-site, which are checked on the first day of competition for each sport. The respective rankings are determined for each individual performance group. The performance difference within the group should not exceed 15% (guideline). Homogeneous performance groups should comprise a minimum of three and a maximum of eight participants.

Divisioning Criteria

• Leistungsvermögen (entscheidendes Kriterium, hat Vorrang vor den beiden anderen Kriterien):
  • 10-15% Guideline (difference within a performance category)
  • Pre-submitted scores
  • On-site verification (classification is verified by the Games and Sport Rules Committee)
• Gender
• Age
  • Individual Sports 8-11 / 12-15 / 16-21 / 22-29 / 30 and older Team Sports 15 and younger / 16-21 / 22 and older

Depending on the number of participants, the organization of a competition, and to ensure homogeneous groups, certain criteria may be waived. A decision in this regard rests with the Sport Official (after consultation with the organizing committee). On the website of Special Olympics International, you will find further useful information on Divisioning (in English) and a video that explains the practical implementation of Divisioning.

Special Olympics competitions take place at various levels: local, regional, national, and international. Within a competition, various competition levels are offered where possible (low, intermediate, and advanced), into which participants are divided based on their performance ability. Special Olympics Switzerland’s task is to define criteria according to which athletes within a sport can advance from one competition level to the next higher one, and to determine the prerequisites for participation in the next competition level.

Core Principles

• Athletes of all performance levels have the same opportunities to advance to the next higher competition level.
• Each event level reflects all aspects of the preceding event level, including the age, gender, and performance level of the participants, as well as the sport(s) practiced in the previous competition.

Adherence to the fundamental principles of advancement is crucial for the consistent introduction and development of Special Olympics worldwide.

Advancement Criteria

An athlete is eligible to advance to the next competition level if they:

• has participated in an organized training session conducted by a qualified coach according to the Special Olympics training and competition rules (e.g. sports rules, Sports Skills Guide, etc.). The training has taken place regularly so that the athlete has been able to acquire the necessary skills and prepare seriously for the competition in the respective sport. The recommended minimum training time is ten hours within two months before the event.
• has participated in a previous event (e.g., an athlete must first participate in National Games before being allowed to participate in World Games).

The training and preceding competitions must have taken place in the same sport in which the athlete wishes to participate at the next higher event level. Advancement is the responsibility of the Technical Coordinator for the respective sport.

The official Special Olympics rules apply to all competition levels. As an international sports organization, Special Olympics has formulated the rules based on the regulations of international sports federations and national federations. The rules of the sports federations apply, provided they do not conflict with the Special Olympics rules. In such cases, the official Special Olympics rules apply. The Special Olympics rules incorporate the recommendations and practical experience of thousands of coaches, volunteers, athletes and their families worldwide. The rules have been developed to enable all athletes – regardless of their performance level – to participate.

The rulebook consists of:

• Cross-sport aspects of the SOI General Rules
• Sport-specific Rules and Regulations: The regulations for individual sports can be found under each respective sport.

Special Olympics Switzerland reserves the right to make changes to the rules and regulations for individual sports.

If a competition management determines that an athlete or a team has not completed the divisioning with full commitment, he has the right to sanction the athlete or the team. Sanctions include: warning an athlete or coach, adjusting the ranking or disqualification due to unsportsmanlike conduct. The code of conduct for Special Olympics athletes and coaches is available as a PDF file.

Unified Sports® is a worldwide Special Olympics program where people with different backgrounds and abilities play sports, train, and compete together in mixed teams.

Unified Sports® promotes social inclusion, and SOI has defined three different models.

Competitive Model:
Teams in the Competitive Model consist of athletes and Unified Partners who train together regularly and have a similar age and performance level. This model is offered at the World Games.

Player Development Model:
Teams in this model train together regularly and consist of athletes and partners of similar age. However, they can have different performance levels. This allows less experienced athletes to benefit and learn from stronger athletes. This model is not offered at the World Games, except in some sports that have defined this model in their regulations.

Recreational Model:

In the recreational model, the focus is on playing sports together. Athletes and partners form a team in similar numbers. Age, performance, or joint training are not a factor. At least 25% of participants are athletes and at least 25% are Unified Partners. This model is not offered at the World Games.