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Official Sports and Rules

Young man gritting his teeth to lift a heavy barbell. Other people stand nearby to help as needed.
Special Olympics athletes all have the opportunity to participate in programs at a level that suits their individual needs.

Perhaps they have decided to stay active for life, enrolling in year-round programs that run in the community. Or maybe they will choose to take it to a higher level, with an eye to earning the opportunity to compete in National or World Games.

In order to create an environment that is beneficial for everyone involved, on both a competitive and personal level, Special Olympics Canada has taken great care in developing rules and processes for placing each athlete in an appropriate group for competition (process called divisioning). This way, every athlete is able to participate and benefit from being active.

Special Olympics Canada athletes participate in the following official sports. Rulebooks for each sport can be found by clicking on each individual sport. Rules are reviewed on a 4-year cycle following the National Games. 

Winter Sports

Summer Sports