What is classification in para sport?
B · Beginner · Eligibility · 1 of 2Classification decides who may compete in a para sport and groups eligible athletes into sport classes by how much their impairment affects the sport's key tasks. The IPC Classification Code sets the rules every sport follows. Each international federation then writes its own classes and criteria. The aim is that skill, not impairment, decides the result.
How it works
- Code: written by the IPC.
- Edition: 1 January 2025.
- Federations: set classes and criteria.
- Eligibility: an eligible impairment.
- Minimum criteria: set per sport.
- Sport class: grouping by effect.
- Aim: excellence decides results.
- Covered competitions: classification required.
The glossary has the para sport, the International Paralympic Committee, the international federation, the classification, the sport class and the covered competition.
Tricky cases
Is a sport class the same across sports?
No. Each sport defines its own.
When did the 2025 Code start for winter sports?
1 July 2026.
Do athletes in individual sports race other classes?
Normally not, except in combined class events.
Who runs classification at an event?
The international federation, through a chief classifier.
Why the rule exists
Without classes, athletes with the least impairment would win almost every event.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Summer sports | From January 2025 | K |
| Winter sports | From July 2026 | K |
| Classes | Per sport | K App 1 |
From the rule book
IPC, Classification Code and International Standards (1 January 2025), Chapter 2 and Appendix 1. Checked 15 October 2026. Official document: IPC Classification Code 2025.