Para badminton will be an official sport for the first time at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
It is a sport which can be played by both men and women of any age with a physical impairment. It is a growing sport that is attracting more and more participants every year both competitively and socially. Players compete in singles (men/women), doubles (men/women) and mixed doubles.
Para badminton is characterised by lightning quick rallies, power, timing, and perfect shot selection. Athletes can employ a wide variety of shots, from high-impact smashes that send the shuttlecock travelling at great speeds, to pace-changing drop shots that slows the game down, offering an exciting back and forth spectacle.
Athletes compete according to their functional classifications in each event and these events are continually being redefined to include as many athletes as possible.
In para badminton athletes compete in men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. Para badminton consists of the same rules and regulations set by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) for the able-bodied sport. However, few modifications are implemented in consideration of specific physical disabilities. In wheelchair badminton, players must ensure that some part of his torso is in contact with the seat of the wheelchair when striking. The player’s feet should maintain contact with the foothold while the shuttlecock is in play and must not come in contact with the floor. In addition, the foothold propping up the player’s feet cannot come in contact with the floor while the shuttlecock is in play. The Court: The badminton court shall be 13.4 m in overall length and 6.1 m in overall width. Players in classes WH1, WH2, and SL3 compete on the singles court. All remaining classes and doubles events use the full court. Shuttles: The shuttle shall be made of natural and/or synthetic materials. From whatever material the shuttle is made, the flight characteristics generally shall be similar to those produced by a natural feathered shuttle with a cork base covered by a thin layer of leather. Racket: The racket shall be a frame not exceeding 680 mm in overall length and 230 mm in overall width consisting of a handle, shaft, throat, head and stringed area. Scoring: Points are scored by striking a shuttlecock with the racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their opponents’ half of the court. Each side may only strike the shuttlecock once before it passes over the net. A match shall consist of the best of three games. A game shall be won by the side which first scores 21 points, except; The player who wins the game shall serve first in the next.
Rules and Equipment
Documents:
| Hypertonia | Impaired Muscle Power |
| Ataxia | Leg Length Difference |
| Athetosis | Short Stature |
| Limb Deficiency | Impaired Passive Range of Movement |
There are 6 sport classes in para badminton. The class ‘WH’ stands for Wheelchair, the class ‘SL and SU’ stands for Standing Lower Limb and Upper Limb (Standing and a limitation in the lower or upper limbs) and ‘SS’ stands for Short Stature.
For illustrated explanation please click on the button below.
Para badminton players with a physical disability compete in six sport classes:
| Wheelchair 1 WH 1 |
| Players in this sport class require a wheelchair to play badminton.
They usually have impairment in both lower limbs and trunk function. |
| Wheelchair 2 WH 2 |
| A player in this class could have impairment in one or both lower limbs and minimal or no impairment of the trunk. |
| Standing Lower SL 3 |
| In this class, a player must play standing. The player could have impairment in one or both lower limbs and poor walking/running balance. |
| Standing Lower SL 4 |
| A second standing class where the player has a lesser impairment compared to Sport Class SL 3. The player could have impairment in one or both lower limbs and minimal impairment in walking/running balance. |
| Standing Upper SU 5 |
| The player in this class has impairment of upper limbs. |
| Short Stature SH 6 |
| These are players who have a short stature due to a genetic condition often referred to as “dwarfism”. |
To be eligible to apply for a national classification, athletes must:
Athletes who do not meet the list of criteria above may still be evaluated by the classifiers by prior arrangement. However, he/she will only receive a provisional class in order to facilitate them to compete this year.
This list includes active athletes who have been classified at national and/or international level. Click here to access the Masterlist
Badminton Ireland is the National Governing Body for para badminton in Ireland. If you wish to get involved in para badminton, please access the National Governing Body link below.
| Governing Body | |
| National | Badminton Ireland |
| International | Badminton World Federation (BWF) |
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