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Criteria for Advancement to Higher Level Competition
- Introduction.
Competitions are held at a number of levels within the Special Olympics Movement. The criteria used to determine how athletes from all sports advance from one Games or Tournament to the next is an important responsibility each Accredited Program must administer. The criteria for athlete advancement, along with the divisioning procedures, are considered two of the most critical elements of Special Olympics and serve to distinguish it from virtually every other sports organization in the world. Adherence to the fundamental principles of athlete advancement is essential for the consistent implementation and development of Special Olympics Programs worldwide. In addition, Accredited Programs are encouraged to develop selection criteria for coaches based on technical background and practical experience that will enhance the competitive experience of Special Olympics athletes.
- Fundamental Principles.
- Athletes of all ability levels have an equal opportunity to advance to the next.
- Each competition reflects all aspects of the previous competition, including but not limited to the age, gender and ability level of athletes and the variety of sports events competed in at the previous competition.
- Quota Allocation.
- All Accredited Programs need to have a system for quota allocation to manage the number of athletes attending a competition. The quota allocation process utilized shall not violate the Fundamental Principles of athlete advancement (listed above).
- The procedures used for selecting athletes to fill assigned quotas for an event must follow the procedures set forth in this section, unless a waiver is granted from the appropriate body.
- Eligibility For Advancement.
- An athlete is eligible to advance to the next competition provided she or he has:
- Participated in an organized training program directed by a qualified coach consistent with Special Olympics rules of training and competition (e.g., Sports Rules, Sports Skills Guide, etc.), and occurring at a level of frequency that provides necessary skill acquisition and preparation for competition in the specific sports and events in which the athlete competes. The recommended minimum training time is 10 hours within two months prior to the competition.
- Participated in the previous competition (e.g., an athlete must compete in the National/U.S. Games before advancing to the World Games), with the following two exceptions:
- When the Games or Tournament is the first competition opportunity for an athlete (e.g., at the Local or Area level), previous competition experience is not required. Some flexibility is also left to Accredited Programs for determining, in exceptional circumstances, eligibility for participation prior to completing the recommended minimum training time (e.g., a basketball team may begin league play after five one-hour practices).
- A team for which there has been no competition opportunity at a Tournament or Games shall be eligible to advance to the next competition.
- Training and previous competition experience must be in the same sport as the athlete will be competing in at the next competition. If additional events within that sport are available at the next competition, athletes should receive proper training prior to advancing.
- Procedure for Athlete and Team Selection.
- Determine number of athletes or teams that will be allowed to participate at the next competition by sport and/or event. This is the quota to be filled.
- Identify the number of athletes or teams eligible for advancement within the sport/event based on eligibility requirements.
- If the number of eligible athletes or teams does not exceed the quota, all athletes and teams shall advance.
- If the number of eligible athletes or teams exceeds the quota, athletes or teams that advance shall be selected as follows:
- Priority is given to first place finishers from all divisions of the sport/event. If the number of first place finishers exceeds the quota, select athletes or teams to advance by random draw.
- If there are not enough first place finishers to fill the quota, all first place finishers shall advance. The remaining quota shall be filled by a random draw of second place finishers from all divisions of the sport/event.
- If the quota is large enough for all second place finishers to advance, the remaining quota shall be filled by a random draw of third place finishers from all divisions of the sport/event.
- Repeat this process, adding each place of finish as necessary, until the quota is filled.
- These procedures apply to both individual and team sports.
- An athlete shall not be barred from advancement based on prior competition experience (e.g., an athlete shall not be prohibited from advancing to World Games solely on the basis that she or he attended World Games in the past).
- Adherence.
- As an essential component of the Special Olympics Movement, the criteria for athlete advancement must be adhered to. Under extraordinary circumstances when the criteria cannot be met, authority to deviate from established procedures may be requested, provided the alternate selection procedures do not conflict with the Fundamental Principles of athlete advancement.
- Accredited Programs may request authorization to add additional criteria for advancement based on behavior, medical or judicial considerations and/or to deviate from these advancement procedures due to the size or nature of their Program.
- Requests to deviate from the established procedures must be submitted in writing as follows:
- For advancement to Multi-National and World Games: SOI will consider and approve/disapprove all requests.
- For advancement to Competitions at or below the National/U.S. Level: the Accredited Program will consider and approve/disapprove all requests. SOI shall have the right and responsibility to review approved deviations during the accreditation process.
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