Policy guidelines for age and ability categories
The following are default guidelines. Each sport may implement specific rules.
Section 1: Age categories
1.1 Definition of age categories
Age categories should be the same for men and for women.
Standard age categories are:
● Junior (under 23)
● Senior/Open (no age requirement)
● 30-plus
● 40-plus
● 50-plus
● 60-plus
● 70-plus
● 80-plus
● 90-plus
As a rule, athletes are allowed to compete in an age category younger than their normal age category, but not in an older age category.
If possible, and subject to the above condition, and the Host’s policy on competing in multiple sports, they should be allowed to compete in different age categories in different sports.
Athletes may compete in only one age category in a given sport and given event.
In the absence of other requirements, age is determined by one’s birthday on the day of opening ceremony.
1.2 Youth participation
Background:
For a variety of reasons, including cost, demographics of participants in the Gay Games are older than the general population.
This is a particular problem because young people face particular challenges in life and in participation in sport, and the Gay Games can contribute to overcoming these challenges.
In addition, the future of the LGBT sport movement relies on encouraging the involvement of motivated youth.
The FGG encourages the Host to develop specific plans for encouraging the participation of young people.
This can include targeted marketing, discounts, new sports events for competition or demonstration, etc.
The FGG will encourage its own members and partners to focus on recruitment of young people, with the hope of a concerted effort from the FGG, its members and partners, and the Gay Games Host.
1.3 Older athletes
Background: The FGG principle of inclusion means that athletes of all ages must be able to participate safely in the Gay Games, and have real competitive opportunities.
In addition to the age categories described in section 1a, particular care must be taken to provide appropriate medical support and to ensure the comfort of older athletes. It should be noted that measures taken for older athletes will be of benefit for all.
Ability categories vary from sport to sport, and not all sports include these categories. Ability categories may include:
● recreational/competitive
● levels A/B/C
● social/league
● etc.
The Sport Red Book for each sport should strive to offer as many levels of competition as possible, and the means of assigning teams or individuals to the appropriate ability category. This must be balanced against the need to offer a real competitive opportunity within each category by ensuring that there are enough competitors present.
Section 3: Collapsing of age and ability categories
3.1 Age categories
Should insufficient competitors be registered or present for a Unique Medal Event, the organizers of the event may “collapse” age categories under the following conditions:
For sports in which competitors compete against an objective standard (time, distance, weight, etc.) there are no special conditions to be met.
For sports in which competitors compete against one or more opponents, organizers must balance the need for a minimum number of competitors in the event, with the levels of all participants concerned by the collapsing.
If final registration figures demonstrate a risk that categories may be need to be “collapsed”, the FGG Sports Coordinator for the sport in question must be consulted for approval of the modalities of such collapsing.
For sports in which competitors compete against an opponent and there is a risk of physical injury due to differences in age or ability, all participants concerned must agree to the collapsing of categories.
No pressure to agree may be applied on the competitor presumed to have a competitive disadvantage.
The meet manager must approve any action of this kind, taking into account the safety of participants.
3.2 Ability categories
As a rule, ability categories should NOT be collapsed.
On an exceptional basis this may be done at the request of the Host and with the approval
of the FGG Sports Coordinator for the sport in question.
If ability categories are collapsed on an exceptional basis, the rules outlined for the collapsing of age categories should be respected.
In any case, when possible, medal awards and published results from the event must reflect the categories defined by the Red Book and the participant’s registration.
