Introduction
The Northern Virginia Senior Olympics (NVSO) are open to residents of Northern Virginia 50 years of age or older. The NVSO program promotes health, fitness and psychological wellbeing for senior adults by providing opportunities for participation, competition, self-improvement and fellowship through various athletic and recreational events.
The emphasis is not so much on competition as it is on fellowship and socialization.
To be eligible to enter any event, a participant must be a resident of Arlington County, Fairfax County, Fauquier County, Loudoun County, Prince William County or the Cities of Alexandria, Fairfax and Falls Church. Participants must be 50 years of age or older, complete a registration form and a standard release form, and submit the necessary registration fees. Individuals and teams will participate in predetermined age categories, except where circumstances dictate change.
The Northern Virginia Senior Olympics are held in the fall (usually in the middle of September) of each year and attract over 900 individuals annually. The Senior Olympics are a reflection of its Motto: LIVING HEALTHY LONGER
GENERAL RULES
A) Eligibility, Registration, and Team Competitions (revised)
1) Participants must be 50 years of age or older and be a resident of a Northern Virginia Region sponsoring jurisdiction. The age of a competitor on December 31 in the year the competition is held determines the age group.
2) In order to compete in an event, each participant must register and sign the Waiver and Release of Liability Form prior to the start of the event. Details about registration can be obtained at www.nvso.us.
3) In team competitions the youngest team member determines the age group.
4) A registrant may only participate with one team or pair in each event, and only in the proper age group.
5) Each team captain/manager must submit a signed registration form for each team member and send all forms and payments in one envelope by the final registration deadline. A team or pair will compete in the age group of its youngest player.
6) Participants in all events must report to the registration area 15 minutes prior to the scheduled time of the event or risk disqualification.
B) Competition Level
1) The following events will be held in 5-year age groups (50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65–69, 70-74, 75-79, 80-84, 85-89, 90-94, 95-99, 100+) for Men and Women:
• Bowling -Ten Pin, Bowling-Wii, Cycling, Disc Golf, Diving, Football Throw, Frisbee Throw, Handball, Miniature Golf, Racquetball, Rowing, Softball Hit, Softball Throw, Swimming, Track & Field.
2) The following events will be held in 10-year age groups (50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80-89, 95-99, 100+) for Men and Women:
• Basketball Free Throw (5-year age groups may apply with the Basketball Free Throw depending on the number of participants), Bocce, Crossword Puzzle, Golf – 9 hole, Horseshoes, Jigsaw Puzzle, Orienteering, Pickleball, Pool – Nine Ball, Pool – Eight Ball, Table Tennis, Tennis, Sudoku Regular, and Sudoku Advanced.
3) The following events will be held in 20-year age groupings 20-year (50-69, 70-89, 90+) for Men and Women:
• Yo-Yo
4) The following events do not have age groups or gender categories:
• Cribbage, Croquet-Nine Wicket, Cornhole Toss, Line Dancing, Mah Jongg, Synchronized Diving.
C) Administrative Rules
1) Northern Virginia Senior Olympic Officials reserve the right to:
• Resolve rule disputes, postpone, and/or cancel any event at their scheduled time due to time and cost effectiveness, safety, or other extenuating circumstances.
• Cancel an event, change age divisions and/or combine genders due to insufficient registration.
• Cancel or reschedule any or all events due to heavy rain, bad air quality or extreme heat.
2) Any breach of ethics or improprieties must be brought to the attention of the Director of the specific event. The Event Director shall interpret the rules and decide all disputes and may consult with Northern Virginia Senior Olympic Committee members for clarification of the rules.
3) The Event Director has the authority to establish certain criteria before the event begins to ensure the best interest of the players and the competition.
D) Awards System
1) Medals will be awarded to the first, second and third place winners in each event, and in each age group immediately after the conclusion of each event.
2) If there are ties in any event, the rules governing ties shown in the respective disciplines determine the medal distribution.
See the rules for each individual event on its page.
See the rules for all events for 2023.
APPEALS
Appeals are required to be filed with a committee member in writing within 24 hours of the scheduled event. Decisions will be made within a timely manner. At no time will an appeal be permitted in situations relying on human judgment. Only misinterpretations of rules will justify an appeal.