Which sports does Special Olympics offer?
Rule- South Africa
- Special Olympics South Africa
- Special Olympics Sports Rules 2024
- Inclusive sport
- Intellectual disability
- Ages 8+
- 2024
- Coaches
Special Olympics sports are graded into levels by global participation (General Rules 3.04 and Sports Rules Article 1, 2024, section 5).
| Level | Summer sports | Winter sports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (automatically at World Games) | Athletics, football, swimming, bocce, basketball, volleyball, bowling, table tennis | Alpine skiing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, speed skating, figure skating |
| 2 | Powerlifting, tennis, golf, cycling, badminton, equestrian, artistic gymnastics, softball | DanceSport, floorball, snowboarding |
| 3 | Rhythmic gymnastics, roller skating, judo, handball, sailing, kayaking, cricket, triathlon, competitive cheer |
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.
Added 22 Oct 2026