Para Badminton

Paralympic badminton is played on an indoor court, with single, double, or mixed events offered. Para badminton is open to athletes with physical impairments.

Para Badminton Resources, opens in a new tab

Eligibility in Para Badminton 

The five following impairment groups are eligible for Para badminton.

  • Coordination Impairments

    Athletes with a Coordination Impairment have one or more of the following three movement disorders that adversely affects the ability to voluntarily produce a full range of skilled movement fluidly, rapidly, and accurately:

    • Hypertonia/Spasticity: an increase in muscle tension that may be velocity-dependent and/or a reduced ability of a muscle to stretch.
    • Motor Ataxia: limited precision in direction and velocity of voluntary movement.
    • Dyskinesia (Athetosis, Dystonia, Chorea): involuntary movements that interfere with voluntary movements.

    Examples of Underlying Health Conditions that can lead to coordination impairments include Cerebral Palsy, Traumatic Brain Injury, Stroke, and Multiple Sclerosis.

  • Impaired Muscle Power

    Athletes with Impaired Muscle Power have a reduced (or no) ability to contract their muscles to generate force that is consistent with an Underlying Health Condition affecting the structure and function of the central or peripheral nervous system or the muscles.

    Examples of Underlying Health Conditions leading to impaired muscle power include: spinal cord injuries, muscular dystrophy, post-polio syndrome, and spina bifida.

  • Impaired Passive Range of Motion

    Athletes with Impaired Passive Range of Movement have a reduced ability for a joint to be passively moved that is consistent with an Underlying Health Condition affecting a structure of bones, joints, connective tissue, or soft tissues.

    Examples of Underlying Health Conditions leading to impaired passive range of motion include: arthrogryposis and contracture resulting from chronic joint immobilization or trauma affecting a joint.

  • Limb Deficiency and/or Leg Length Difference

    Athletes with Limb Deficiency or Limb Length Difference have a total or partial absence of a limb or anatomically irregular limb dimensions that are consistent with an Underlying Health Condition resulting from trauma (traumatic amputation), illness (example: amputation due to bone cancer), or congenital causes affecting the bones and/or joints (example: dysmelia).

    This impairment group can be further divided into the following sub-categories:

    1. Limb deficiency
    2. Leg length difference

  • Short Stature

    Athletes with Short Stature have reduced total body length (including head, trunk, and legs) as a results of congenitally or developmentally reduced length of the bones of the upper and lower limbs (and may also have reduced trunk length).

    Athletes will not be considered to have Short Stature if their reduced total body length is the result of Limb Deficiency or Limb Length Difference only.

    Examples of an underlying health condition that can lead to Short Stature include achondroplasia, growth hormone dysfunction, and osteogenesis imperfecta.

Sport Entry 

  • Entering the Pathway

    Athletes wanting to start in Para badminton should begin by becoming a USA Badminton member, connect with a club near you, and inquire about lessons.

    A USA Badminton membership ensures that athletes can compete in national tournaments.

    If there is not a USA Badminton club near you, athletes are encouraged to search for any badminton club near them as many are not official USA Badminton member clubs.


    Member Clubs, opens in a new tab

  • Equipment

    At minimum, athletes will need the following equipment to begin training and competing in Para badminton:

    • Racket, shuttlecock, and indoor court shoes (if athlete is standing)
    • Badminton net and access to a badminton court
    • Impairment specific equipment as necessary such as a wheelchair or crutch
    • Approved adaptive equipment as necessary such as strapping to attach the racket to the athlete's hand/arm

Classification 

USA Badminton does not currently offer national classification. See below for more information on the process of international classification in Para badminton as well as the different sport classes within Para badminton.

  • International Classification

    The Badminton World Federation (BWF) is responsible for governing international classification for the sport of Para badminton.

    Athletes will be classified at the first international tournament they attend.

    Athletes are required to submit all required documentation at least six weeks prior to the event in which they hope to be classified at.

    Please visit the BWF website for additional information and to download all the required documents for international classification.

    BWF International Classification, opens in a new tab
  • Amy Burnett playing Para badminton

    Wheelchair Classes

    Athletes in the following classes compete in wheelchairs with impairments that include but are not limited to: quadriplegia, bilateral above knee amputations, spinal cord injuries, and others. Athletes in the WH1 class experience more severe impairments and athletes in the WH2 class experience less severe impairments.

    • WH1 - Athletes demonstrate limited function in the trunk and/or upper limbs based on movement or muscle power in addition to the impairment impacting the lower limbs
    • WH2 - Athletes require the use of assistive devices while walking. Badminton movements such as a start and stop or pivot may lead to a loss of balance
  • Jayci Simon hits a return.

    Standing Classes

    Athletes in the following classes compete standing:

    • SL3 - Athletes with more severe lower limb impairments such as bilateral below knee amputations or a unilateral above knee amputation, cerebral palsy, and others
    • SL4 - Athletes with less severe lower limb impairments such as a unilateral below knee amputation, less severe coordination impairments, and others
    • SU5 - Athletes with upper limb impairments such as amputations of the non-playing arm and/or playing hand, brachial plexus, cerebral palsy, and others
    • SH6 - Athletes with short stature

Paralympic Differences 

  • Paralympic badminton follows most of the same rules as able-bodied badminton but with a few alterations for specific classifications:

    • Wheelchair classes - Singles is played on half courts while doubles is played on full courts. At all levels, the front service line to the net is always considered "out".
    • Standing classes - Depending on disability, athletes with either play on half or full courts for singles and full courts for doubles.
    • Short Stature class - Athletes will always compete on full courts for all events.

Next Steps 

  • USA Badminton Events

    Visit the USA Badminton events page to find a tournament near you and start competing!

    USA Badminton Tournaments, opens in a new tab

  • Para Badminton Tournaments

    Visit the BWF Para events page to view the full list of upcoming international Para badminton tournaments.

    BWF Calendar, opens in a new tab