The logic of categorisation in sport

ABSTRACT

The aim of this paper is to examine the basis of eligibility rules in sport by exhibiting the logic of categorisation, with its associated ethical problems. We shall be concerned mainly with pre-competition categories – age, sex, weight and dis/ability – because they are directly relevant to sports performance and are relatively stable inequalities. We shall prefer to use the term “categorisation”, although we mean by it just what others might mean by classification, to refer to divisions, classes, groups, etc. The paper argues that we have categories only because we consider it desirable to offer some groups protected status in order to enable and promote inclusion and fairness. This desirability condition determines eligibility. Only then do issues arise of which sub-categories we should have, and how they are to be policed. There will always be categories in sport, as a minimum to protect athletes based on age groupings, from children to veterans. But since every categorisation brings its own problems, we need to ensure that we keep them balanced, so that sport can strive for maximum inclusion of different kinds of athletes, and maximum fairness. This requires us to step back from the many particular debates in order to rethink the logic of the whole categorisation process.

KEYWORDS:

• Philosophy
• ethics
• categorisation
• disability sport
• sex
• policy

Acknowledgements

This paper was written with institutional support from Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic (PROGRES Q19).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The USDA definition, and further description, is at: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/plantmaterials/technical/toolsdata/plant/?cid=stelprdb1043051

2 Watch the race at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcdUsMULNzo&ebc=ANyPxKrwcZQz7NQ3jk6oNAPwdj6_hLFO3WcOQbK1DftdTpdUlidT7eji_FHoUy1BvIUghTox8SyKODferSJdtp3atruzyjzYKw. Here also is the 200 metres race, in which Pistorius came second: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9Wlp1sTnoY. The question is: what is the advantage here (if there is one)? Is it having one amputation (as against two); or having two blades, against one; or the former for 100m and the latter for 200 m?

3 At the 2012 Summer Paralympics, for example, there were 15 different 100 m events for men, and therefore 15 gold medals.

4 Contest is a necessary condition of sports. Of course, you can make a contest out of anything, including dance, or piano playing. But they are not essentially competitive – dance or music can occur (usually occur) in the absence of competition. Not so sport.

5 On ‘protected’ categories, see Martínková (2020a).

6 In fact, she entered for seven events and won a gold and a bronze.

7 Damien Parry drew our attention to this formulation of the issue, in his excellent Masters dissertation (MA in Sports Ethics and Integrity – see www.maisi-project.eu): “Transgender inclusion in sport”.