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Classification is the grouping of athletes based on functional ability. You will be classified by trained classifiers at regional and national level, but to assist organisers to enter you in the correct events, we would appreciate you giving us your estimate of your classification using the information below.

Eligible participants for CP Sport events must have non-progressive brain damage resulting in difficulties with muscle control, balance and/or co-ordination, such as cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, stroke or similar condition./p>

Class 1/BC1

Movement difficulties strongly affecting the whole body.
Typically the athlete can:

1. Not usually be able to propel a manual wheelchair
2. Often have difficulty altering their sitting position
3. Often use the trunk in head and arm movement
4. Have difficulty with grasp and release motions
5. Have no functional use of the legs

Class 2/BC2

Movement difficulties affecting the whole body
Typically the athlete can:

1. Have trunk control, but this involves limb movement
2. Have difficulties with consistent isolated shoulder movement
3. Be able to spread fingers and thumb, but not quickly
4. Be able to hand or foot push a wheelchair
5. Possibly be able to stand/walk, but is very unstable

A class 2L athlete who kicks the balls into court will compete in the classification group BC1/Class 1

Class 1/BC3 - with Assistive Device (including non CP players)

This class is for players whose physical profile is the same as Class 1/BC1 above with the following additions:

1. Can propel the ball into court only with the use of a ramp
2. No sustained grip/release action
3. May have arm movement but insufficient functional range to consistently propel a boccia ball into court

This classification includes wheelchair athletes with severe locomotor dysfunction in all four limbs of non CP origin.

BC4 Throwing Athletes (Non CP Players)

Wheelchair athletes with severe locomotor dysfunction in all four limbs of Non CP origin.
The athlete has a comparable sport function profile as a Boccia class 1 or 2 player.

Active range of movement is poor either due to lack of strength or lack of flexibility.

The athlete demonstrates poor strength of severe lack of coordination combined with poor dynamic trunk control. Fatigue is a factor.

Poor strength or control of grasp and release will be evident.
This can often be seen by frequent use of gravity assisted actions to propel the ball.

The athlete is able to lift arms up but:
UNABLE TO PROPEL A BALL FROM ABOVE SHOULDER LEVEL.

Therefore, the ball is often propelled by use of:
A pendulum swing action
From a bilateral grasp and push action from the chest
Another gravity assisted release action.

The use of arms or head thrust is often needed to return to an upright sitting position after a balance disturbance, for instance the throwing action.

However the athlete is able to demonstrate sufficient dexterity to independently manipulate and propel a Boccia ball consistently past the v-line onto the court.

The athlete may be able to propel a wheelchair. However rapid movements are not possible.

Athletes with the following diagnosis and the above profile may be eligible. Myopathies with proximal strength of less than 3/5 spinal cord lesion, complete or incomplete tetraplegic with the above functional profile, e.g. unable to propel ball from above shoulder level and/or poor hand grasp.
Spina bifida combined with upper extremity involvement.

Other similar conditions which result in poor strength and/or coordination.