What is classification, and who needs it?

Q: What is classification, and who needs it?

Classification is how para sport decides who is eligible to compete and groups eligible athletes into sport classes, minimising the impact of impairment so that results are decided by factors other than the impairment (IPC Classification Code 2025, Article 1). It does two things: Decides whether you have an eligible impairment that meets your sport's minimum criteria. Puts you in a sport class based on how much your impairment affects the tasks fundamental to that sport. Who needs it Any athlete with an impairment who wants to compete in para sport. In SASAPD's sports, SASAPD-certified classifiers evaluate athletes nationally, using medical evidence and functional testing. The IPC Code is mandatory at covered competitions: the Paralympic Games, World Championships, competitions on the direct Paralympic qualification pathway, and any other events the international federation names. Federations may also apply it at lower levels. The 2025 Code took effect on 1 January 2025 and binds all IPC members and their international federations.

Question

Accepted Answer

Classification is how para sport decides who is eligible to compete and groups eligible athletes into sport classes, minimising the impact of impairment so that results are decided by factors other than the impairment (IPC Classification Code 2025, Article 1).

It does two things:

Decides whether you have an eligible impairment that meets your sport's minimum criteria.
Puts you in a sport class based on how much your impairment affects the tasks fundamental to that sport.

Who needs it

Any athlete with an impairment who wants to compete in para sport. In SASAPD's sports, SASAPD-certified classifiers evaluate athletes nationally, using medical evidence and functional testing.
The IPC Code is mandatory at covered competitions: the Paralympic Games, World Championships, competitions on the direct Paralympic qualification pathway, and any other events the international federation names. Federations may also apply it at lower levels.

The 2025 Code took effect on 1 January 2025 and binds all IPC members and their international federations.