B3 (classification)
[12] IBSA handles classification for a number of sports internationally including five-a-side football, goalball and judo.
[12] When being assessed into this class by the IBSA, the process first includes the athlete filling out a consent form, submitting a photograph, and scheduling an appointment with a classifier for evaluation.
For adaptive rowing, classification assignment may be handled by FISA, as was the case at the 2008 Summer Paralympics.
[11] In athletics, classification assignment may be handled by the IPC, as was the case at the 2008 Summer Paralympics.
[11] Cycling classification assignment for this class may be handled by the UCI, as was the case at the 2008 Summer Paralympic.
[11] Otherwise, the swimmer competes under the normal rules governing Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA), the sport's highest authority, swimming competitions.
On the Paralympic level, a number of disability sports are not open to this classification or other visually impaired competitors including archery, basketball, boccia, curling, fencing, ice sledge hockey, powerlifting, rugby, shooting, table tennis, tennis, volleyball.
Classification was developed by the IBSA to ensure more even competition across the different bands of visual acuity.
[25] In 1976, the International Sports Organization for the Disabled (ISOD) developed a blind classification system.
[12][25][26] The IBSA classification system has largely remained unchanged since it was put in place,[26] even as the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) attempted to move towards a more functional disability and evidence based system that does not rely on medical based classification.
[27][28] In 2003, the IPC made an attempt to address "the overall objective to support and co-ordinate the ongoing development of accurate, reliable, consistent and credible sport focused classification systems and their implementation.
This classification was part of the overall blind class group, and was still medically based despite changes in other disability types.
IBSA was not prepared at the time to move towards a more functional classification system that is utilized other disability groups and sports.
[14] In some cases, non-Paralympic, non-IBSA affiliated sports have developed their own classification systems.
[36] While this classifications is open to five-a-side blind football,[1] women are not eligible to compete at the Paralympic Games.
[36] In judo, all three blind sport classes compete against each other, with competitors classified by weight for the purposes of competition.
