To be eligible for participation in Unified Sports®, an outgrowth of Special Olympics, a competitor must agree to observe and abide by the Official Special Olympics Sports Rules.
 

Unified Sports® and its parent-arm, Special Olympics, were created and developed to give individuals with intellectual disability the opportunity to train and compete in sports activities. No person shall, on the grounds of sex, race, religion, color or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity of Special Olympics.
 

Eligibility for participation in Unified Sports® :

• General Statement of Eligibility. Every person with intellectual disabilities who is at least five years of age is eligible to participate in Unified Sports®.
   

• Age Requirements. The minimum age requirement for participation in Unified Sports® is five years of age.
   

• Degree of Disability. Participation in Unified Sports® training and competition is open to all persons with intellectual disabilities who meet the age requirement of this Section, regardless of the level or degree of that person’s disability, and whether or not that person also has other mental or physical disabilities, so long as that person registers to participate in Unified Sports® as required by these General Rules.
   

• Identifying Persons with Intellectual Disabilities. A person is considered to have intellectual disabilities for purposes of determining his or her eligibility to participate in Unified Sports® if that person satisfies any one of the following requirements:

  • The person has been identified by an agency or professional as having intellectual disabilities as determined by their localities; or

  • The person has a cognitive delay, as determined by standardized measures such as intelligent quotient or “IQ” testing or other measures which are generally accepted within the professional community in that Accredited Program’s nation as being a reliable measurement of the existence of a cognitive delay; or

  • The person has a closely related developmental disability. A “closely related developmental disability” means having functional limitations in both general learning (such as IQ) and in adaptive skills (such as in recreation, work, independent living, self-direction, or self-care). Persons whose functional limitations are based solely on a physical, behavioral, or emotional disability, or a specific learning or sensory disability, are also eligible to participate as Unified athletes or partners.