Classification The classification process, co-ordinated by the ASA, entails the assessment of a swimmer's functional mobility by IPC Swimming trained classifiers. The process involves a bench test and water test and takes no more than one hour. This type of classification also enables the identification of stroke exemptions applicable to an individual swimmer. In conjunction with the ASA's Classifier Training Scheme, the ASA organises opportunities for ASA swimmers to be classified if they wish. Classification of swimmers with a sensory or learning disability is slightly different. For more information, you should contact Carolyn Wade, Disability Swimming Administrator, tel: 01625 440434, fax: 01625 427446, e-mail: disability@swimming.org  Download the Classification Application form A Layman's Guide to Classification Click here for A Layman's Guide to Classification Classifiers There are two types of classifier that are needed, a medical and a technical, which make up a working pair. A medical classifier will either be a doctor or physiotherapist, and a technical classifier will be an ASA club coach.  Are you a doctor or physiotherapist with an interest in swimming, or know of anyone who fits this description? Alternatively are you an ASA qualified Club Coach with sound up to date technical knowledge, and with an interest in or experience of working with disabled swimmers? If so please contact your ASA Regional Director for further information.

Swimmers Status Classification

Swimmers Status - IPC Classification (click here) Disability Specific Classification These systems are used in competitions where only swimmers with a specific disability are swimming against each other. Organisations that have a disability specific classification system are Cerebral Palsy (CP) Sport, British Blind Sport (BBS), British Deaf Swimming Association (BDSA) and MENCAP. Each of the classification systems are formerly adopted by the relevant organisation, which should be contacted to determine the appropriate method for formal classification, and the level of competition at which such classification is necessary.  You may also come across the following types of classification system in disability competitions. Although they appear more commonly in disability situations, their use is equally valid in any situation where swimmers with a range of abilities wish to compete together. They are completely reliant upon the honesty of times entered for competition, for their success. As such they are usually used only on a local or regional level. Time Banding System Swimmers are grouped together, according to their submitted time taken to swim a given distance. Ideally the variation between the slowest and the fastest time in any given race should be as small as possible so that all participants would have an equal chance of winning. Sometimes the entry time is established by the swimmers taking part in a classification race as part of the competition. Their time swum in this race is then used as their entry time for the main competition. Time Handicap systems The time handicap is calculated by swimmers submitting appropriate times for each event they wish to enter. Swimmers are started at different times with the aim being that all swimmers in a race should finish together. The swimmer with the slowest entry time starts first. The different time interval (time handicap) before each of the other individual swimmers start is calculated by subtracting their time from the time of the slowest swimmer. In order to improve upon both of these systems, and discourage the submission of inaccurate entry times that might place the swimmer in a more advantageous race, penalties are often imposed in the form of the disqualification or speeding ticket of any swimmer who improves their entry or classification race time by say 10%. Such improvements do however bring with them the danger of disqualifying and thereby potentially discouraging swimmers who have genuinely improved quite dramatically. Such improvements are not uncommon among swimmers with a disability competing at local level who have infrequent opportunities to obtain accurate competition times and for whom a small piece of stroke alteration advice can have dramatic results.