Age category rules
Use this page when you set up how a federation decides which age category a solo, duo, or group competes in.
An age category has an age band (a minimum and/or maximum age, set on the age group). On top of the band you choose how the band is applied when a team has more than one dancer — for example “the oldest dancer decides” for a duo, or a tolerance such as “up to 50% may be younger” for a group.
Age is calculated from the birth year:
competition year − birth year. A dancer born in 2011 is 15 for any competition held in 2026, regardless of their exact birthday (unless the age group is set to use the exact birthday).
The two pieces
- Age band — the min/max age, set on the age group (
Federation → Structure → (division) → Age groups). - Age composition rule — how the band is applied to a team. Configured in the rule editor as the Age composition rules field. It supersedes the age group’s basic basis for whatever scope you set it on.
Decide where to set the rule
This is the most important decision. Set the rule at the scope where it actually applies, and let everything else inherit it.
| If the rule… | Set it on… | Where in admin |
|---|---|---|
| is the same for a whole category across all its age groups (e.g. all small groups) | Category | Structure → (division) → Category → pick the category → Rules |
| differs per age band, the same way for every category (e.g. the older partner decides up to Adults, but both must reach Senior) | Age group | Structure → (division) → Age groups → pick the group → Rules |
| applies to one concrete class only (discipline + category + age group + level) | Federation class | Structure → (division) → Discipline → Federation classes list → the row’s rules icon |
| changes on a specific date (e.g. a new season) | Timed profile | Federation → Rules → Add rule profile (set Effective from / to) |
Rule of thumb: set the baseline on the Category, override the exceptions on the Federation class.
Know what the Age group scope does before you use it. An age group is shared by every category that uses it (a duo and a small group can both be “Juniors 2”), and it is more specific than the category in the merge — so a composition rule placed there hits every one of those categories and overrides the category-level setting.
That is wrong when the rule really belongs to a category, and right when it really belongs to the band. The clearest case is a federation whose couples move up together: the older partner decides the class through Juniors and Adults, but the Senior bands require both partners to have reached the age. That distinction is per age group, not per category — so it goes on the Adults group (oldest member decides) with the Senior groups left alone. Setting it on the category instead would loosen Senior too.
Precedence reminder
Most specific wins: Federation → Division → Discipline → Category → Age group → Class level → Federation class. Verify the merged result in Federation → Rulebook, which shows the value that applies and the layer that set it.
Filling in the Age composition rules field
In the rule editor (on a Category, Age group or Federation class) the Age composition rules field has:
- Application preset — a shortcut for the common cases:
- Each member in band — every dancer must be inside the band.
- Oldest member decides — only the oldest dancer must be inside the band (younger dancers may dance up). Use this for duos.
- Youngest member decides — only the youngest dancer must be inside the band.
- Average age — the team’s rounded average must be inside the band.
- Younger allowances (dancing up) — how many dancers may be below the minimum, and by how much.
- Older allowances (dancing down) — how many dancers may be above the maximum, and by how much.
- Maximum age span — optional cap on the gap between the youngest and oldest dancer.
Each allowance row is read as “a dancer up to N years outside the band is allowed, up to this limit“:
- Any years (leave the years box empty) — no limit on how far outside.
- Limit is one of:
- Unlimited — any number of such dancers.
- Max count — at most N such dancers.
- Max percent — at most N% of the team.
- Per N dancers — e.g. one per seven dancers.
You can use a preset on its own, allowances on their own, or both. When you set allowances they define exactly which dancers are tolerated; anyone not covered makes the registration invalid.
Worked examples
Danssport Vlaanderen (DSV) — Disco
- Duo — the oldest dancer decides. On the Duo category set the preset to Oldest member decides (or leave the age group basis at oldest).
- Small group / Formation — on the Small group and Formation categories set Age composition rules to:
- Younger allowances: one row — years empty (any), limit Max percent = 50.
- Older allowances: two rows — years 1, limit Unlimited; and years 4, limit Per N dancers with per 7, max 1.
Setting this once on the category covers every age band the category uses (Children, Juniors, Adults), each checked against its own min/max.
Other federations (same shape, different numbers)
| Federation | Duo / couple | Group / formation |
|---|---|---|
| IDO | oldest decides, span ≤ 3 yr | up to 50% may be ≤ 3 yr younger; no dancing down |
| SDO | oldest decides | oldest decides; a dancer may be up to 2 yr younger |
| ND | — | the youngest dancer decides the category |
All of these map onto the preset and younger/older allowances described above.
Related
- Age moves — the season batch that moves competitors up an age group. It checks the target class against the same band and composition rule, so a preset set here decides who the batch may move.
What dancers see
If a team does not meet the rule, registration is blocked with a message such as “Too many team members are younger than this age category allows”, “…older than this age category allows”, or “The age gap between team members is too large for this age category”.