> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.uplifter.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How do I set up competition categories and events?

> Build the events athletes enter — catalog events by age category, or your own custom templates.

<Note>
  **Must know**

  * Available on plans that include **Competitions** (defaults off) — if you don't see it, ask your Uplifter contact.
  * Two category systems coexist: a shared **sport-event catalog** (an event crossed with an age category) and your own **custom templates**.
  * Disabling a shared preset only turns it off for your club — it doesn't affect the shared preset other clubs use.
</Note>

Categories are the events athletes actually sign up for — for example "100m — U12" or "Vault — Level 3". Manage them under **Settings → Competition Setup → Competition Categories**, then attach them when you build a competition.

**Sport-event catalog.** Uplifter ships a catalog of events and age categories per sport. Pick a catalog event and its result type and precision are derived automatically from that event, so you don't have to configure how it's scored.

**Custom templates.** Build your own category sets in one of two shapes:

* **Combination** — a grid where you cross one axis (say, disciplines) against another (say, age groups). You can switch off individual grid cells that don't apply (for example, no 3-year-old Long Jump).
* **Individual** — a flat list of stand-alone categories, each with its own age, gender, and capacity restrictions plus result configuration.

**Enabling and disabling presets.** Turn a shared preset template on or off for your club without touching the shared row — handy when a preset doesn't match how you run your meets.

Once your categories exist, choose them on the competition builder's Categories step — either **use all eligible categories** or **pick specific ones**. That selection draws from the sport-event catalog; for a sport that has no catalog data and relies only on custom templates, the step shows a placeholder instead of a picker.

**Related:** [How do I create a competition?](/club/events-competitions/create-a-competition) · [What are seed marks?](/club/events-competitions/review-competition-seed-marks) · [How do I record competition results?](/club/events-competitions/record-competition-results)