Coach's Guide to Special Olympics South Africa Ages 8+ 2024

Yes, but not in official competition. Under Special Olympics General Rules 2.01(b):

There is no maximum age.

Under Special Olympics General Rules 2.02, an eligible person must register with an Accredited Programme (in South Africa, Special Olympics South Africa). Registration includes:

• Medical form: a report and certification from a physician or trained medical professional on the results of the required initial physical examination.
• Athlete Release Form: signed by the athlete if an adult, or by the parent or guardian if the athlete is a minor or under guardianship. The release acknowledges the potential impact on an athlete with Down syndrome of taking part in certain sports.

Atlanto-axial instability (AAI)
Spinal cord compression, including at the top two neck vertebrae (C1 and C2), can expose some athletes, for example those with Down syndrome, to injury. An athlete showing symptoms may take part only after clearance by a specialist and a signed informed consent (General Rules 2.02(h); Sports Rules Article 1, Addendum E).

Unified Sports partners complete a separate Unified Sports Partner Application, covering medical history, a waiver and authorisation to obtain information.

Special Olympics sports are graded into levels by global participation (General Rules 3.04 and Sports Rules Article 1, 2024, section 5).

Combat sports, martial arts (other than judo), sledding, motor sports, aerial sports, shooting and archery need pre-approval from Special Olympics International before a Programme may offer them.

In South Africa: each Programme chooses which sports and events it offers. At the 2022 Special Olympics South Africa National Summer Games in Polokwane, athletes from all nine provinces competed in athletics, aquatics, basketball, bocce, football, futsal, netball, table tennis and ten-pin bowling, with golf and equestrian events held previously in Gauteng.

Divisioning puts athletes against others of similar ability, so everyone has a fair chance. Ability is the main factor, with gender and age also considered (Sports Rules Article 1, 2024, section 10).

Step 1: Gender. Athletes normally compete against the same gender, unless the sport's rules allow mixed events.

Step 2: Age groups, based on age on the day the competition opens:

Step 3: Ability. Athletes are ranked by an entry score from a previous competition or by a divisioning (preliminary) event, then grouped:

• 3 to 8 athletes per division.
• A guideline of no more than 15% difference between the highest and lowest scores in a division. This 15% is a guideline, not a rule.

Your job as coach: the Head Coach is responsible for making sure the score used for divisioning reflects the athlete's true ability. There should be a process for coaches to amend entry or preliminary scores.

If a division would have fewer than three athletes, age groups are broadened first, then the ability range, then genders combined, if safe. Divisioning decisions cannot be protested.

Under Sports Rules Article 1 (2024), section 10.4:

1. Gender: female teams play female teams and male teams play male teams. Mixed-gender teams are divisioned with male teams unless there are enough mixed teams of similar ability for their own division.
2. Age groups: 15 and under, 16-21, and 22 and over (another group can be added if there are enough 22+ teams). A team's age group is set by the oldest athlete on the team on the day the competition opens.
3. Ability: every team-sport competition uses a sport-specific skills assessment and a divisioning round. Teams are grouped by those results.

Each division has at least three and no more than eight teams.

If divisions are still too small, age groups can be broadened first, then the ability range, and then genders combined, as long as health and safety are not put at risk. Competition management has the final say, and divisioning decisions cannot be protested.

Because athletes are placed in divisions by their divisioning scores, they must give maximum effort at every stage, including preliminaries. Holding back to land in an easier division is a Maximum Effort Violation (Sports Rules Article 1, 2024, section 11).

How it is applied (one or both, per event):

• Percentage rule: a published maximum percentage improvement from divisioning score to final score. An athlete or team that exceeds it may be disqualified. Some sports' rules already set the percentage.
• Jury review: going over a published percentage automatically triggers a jury review to decide whether to disqualify.

Protections for athletes

• The coach must be given a chance to submit an improved score if the divisioning score doesn't reflect the athlete's true ability.
• Competition management may use the better of a submitted training score or the divisioning score.

Sanctions where management finds an athlete or team deliberately underperformed to gain an advantage: a verbal warning to the player and/or coach, a changed division, changed final placing, or disqualification from the event or the whole competition.

Entry-level events tend to see bigger swings between divisioning and finals, which should be considered when setting the percentage.

Under Sports Rules Article 1 (2024), section 7:

Supervision

• A maximum of four athletes per coach or chaperone (4:1) at competition activities.
• A coach's first priority is the athlete's health and safety, following SOI and Programme medical and safety protocols.
• In team sports, consider the risk of mixing athletes of very different sizes, skill and ages. If it is unsafe, help the athlete find other opportunities.

Minimum medical cover at competitions

• A qualified emergency medical technician in attendance or readily available at all times.
• A licensed medical professional on-site or on immediate call throughout.
• Clearly marked, equipped and staffed first aid areas.
• An ambulance, resuscitator and other equipment, including for handling seizures, readily available.

Safety precautions

• Protect athletes from sunburn, hypothermia and other weather-related conditions.
• Provide ample water and encourage water breaks.
• Make sure each athlete receives any prescribed medication.
• Schedule events with enough rest, allowing for the sport's strenuousness, weather and athletes' fitness.
• Follow the sport-specific protective equipment rules.

Minimum Training Standards (Sports Rules Article 1, 2024, section 2.5):

• Athletes have the right to training led by competent coaches who know the sport and Special Olympics and can work effectively with people with intellectual disabilities. Training should develop skill and fitness and prepare them properly for competition.
• Each Programme or region must set its own training standards that athletes must meet before their first level of competition.
• No athlete may be entered in a competition until they have the skills and physical conditioning to compete meaningfully and safely. Other competition opportunities as part of training are still allowed.

For Regional, Multi-Programme and World Games (General Rules 3.05):

• Athletes must have trained to the minimum standards for at least eight consecutive weeks, with several chances to compete during that time.

Coaches are also responsible for choosing training and events suited to each athlete's skill and interest.

Yes, in practice. Under the Statement of Participation (Sports Rules Article 1, 2024, section 2.6):

• Each team is recommended to play all eligible team members in every game, unless a player is injured or has been removed for disciplinary reasons.
• You must tell competition management before each game if any player on the approved tournament roster will not play because of injury or discipline.
• Failing to play all eligible team members in each game leads to penalties, up to and including forfeit and disqualification.

In Unified Sports there is also a meaningful involvement rule: every teammate should contribute, and no player may dominate play.

Under Sports Rules Article 1 (2024), section 8:

Who can protest: only the Head Coach, or their designee if the Head Coach is absent.

What you can protest

• Misinterpretation of the sport rules
• A referee or judge failing to apply the correct rule
• Failure to impose the correct penalty for a violation

What you cannot protest or appeal

• Fact-based judgement calls by referees, judges or others
• Divisioning and meaningful involvement decisions

How

1. The protest must cite the section number of the Special Olympics Sports Rules or the international/national federation rules involved, and clearly describe how the rule was broken.
2. The sport's Jury reviews it and decides.
3. You can accept the decision or appeal to the Jury of Appeals within 60 minutes of the Jury's decision.
4. The Jury of Appeals' decision is final.

Under Sports Rules Article 1 (2024), section 13, athletes of all ability levels have an equal chance to advance, provided the sport and event are offered at the next level.

Who is eligible to advance

• The athlete must have competed at the previous level (e.g. Programme-level Games before World Games), in the same sport.
• Exceptions apply where no competition was available, e.g. low enrolment, no equitable competition, prohibitive cost, or the athlete trains or competes in mainstream sport.
• Athletes competing at Regional, Multi-Programme or World Games must have trained to minimum standards for at least 8 consecutive weeks (General Rules 3.05).

How places are filled when there is a quota

1. If eligible athletes don't exceed the quota, all advance.
2. Otherwise, first-place finishers from all divisions get priority. If there are more of them than places, a random draw decides.
3. If places remain, a random draw of second-place finishers fills them, then third, and so on.

The same method applies to individual sports, team sports and Unified Sports. The Programme must publish its process and criteria in advance. It can ask for permission to add criteria based on behaviour, medical or judicial grounds.

Unified Sports teams combine athletes with intellectual disabilities and partners without intellectual disabilities, directed by a non-playing coach. A Unified team must never be made up only of people with disabilities (Sports Rules Article 1, 2024, section 14).

Age matching (Competitive and Player Development)

• Anyone on the team aged 8-13: no more than 3 years between youngest and oldest.
• Anyone aged 14-17: no more than 5 years.
• All 18 and over: no more than 20 years recommended.

Coaching rules

• Health and safety come first; match teammates as closely as possible where strength, speed and size matter.
• Keep the roster close to half athletes, half partners.
• Meaningful involvement: no player may dominate play or shut teammates out. Breaches can bring player, coach or team sanctions, up to forfeit or disqualification.
• Partners must complete a Unified Sports Partner Application (medical history, waiver and authorisation).

Under Special Olympics Sports Rules Article 1 (September 2024), section 4:

• Codes of Conduct for athletes, Unified partners, coaches and officials are minimum standards. Each Accredited Programme's board can add to them.
• Every member of an official delegation (athletes, Unified partners, heads of delegation, coaches, medical and other staff) must sign a code of conduct promising not to drink alcohol, smoke, or take illegal or performance-enhancing drugs during competitions.
• Breaches can lead to warnings, suspension or loss of sport certification, and a written record is kept.
• Refusing to compete against other athletes because of their ethnic origin, gender, religion or political affiliation means disqualification from that event and no awards.
• A competitor who disobeys an official, behaves in an unsportsmanlike way, or is offensive to officials, spectators or competitors may be disqualified by the official or jury.

Athletes disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct get no award at all, not even a participation ribbon.