Andrew Pace
Badminton made its Paralympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games, and it will be back for Paris 2024. Para-badminton is a fast-paced racquet sport played by athletes with a range of physical disabilities. The rules are mostly the same as the able-bodied version, with the same scoring format and net height as Olympic badminton. However, competitors are grouped into six different classes based on their type and severity of impairment, with some using a half court.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of players | 1, 2, or 4 |
| Court dimensions | 13.400m x 6.100m |
| Net height | 1.55m |
| Shuttlecock material | natural (cork base covered in leather and 16 goose feathers) or synthetic |
| Racket size | 680mm x 230mm |
| Scoring format | Best of three games, first to 21 points wins, but if the score reaches 29-29, the first side to 30 wins |
| Classes | WH1, WH2, SL3, SL4, SU5, SH6 |
| Class characteristics | Wheelchair/severe impairment, wheelchair/minor impairment, standing/lower limb impairment/severe, standing/lower limb impairment/minor, standing/upper limb impairment, standing/short stature |
| Number of medal events | 16 |
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What You'll Learn
- Badminton Paralympics includes athletes with a range of physical disabilities
- Athletes are placed into six sport classes to ensure fairness in competition
- The rules are the same as the able-bodied version, with a few exceptions
- The height of the net is the same for all classes, at 1.55m
- Para-badminton debuted at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games
Badminton Paralympics includes athletes with a range of physical disabilities
Badminton was first included in the Paralympic Games in Tokyo in 2020. It is a fast-paced racquet sport with dynamic action and powerful, speedy shots. The sport is played indoors with a net across the middle of the court, and the same scoring format as Olympic badminton. The net stands at 1.55m, the same height as in the Olympics, and the shuttlecock can reach speeds of up to 300km/h.
Para-badminton is open to athletes with a range of physical disabilities. Athletes compete in men's and women's singles, doubles, and mixed doubles events, and the sport is played standing or in wheelchairs. The rules are the same as the able-bodied version, with all events using a "best of three games" format, each of 21 points.
Athletes are placed into six sport classes to ensure fairness in competition. Two of these classes are wheelchair classes, and the other four are standing classes. The wheelchair classes are WH1, for athletes with severe impairments, and WH2, for athletes with minor impairments. Athletes in these classes compete on a singles court, using half the court for play.
The four standing classes are: SL3, for athletes with severe lower limb impairments; SL4, for athletes with minor lower limb impairments; SU5, for athletes with upper limb impairments; and SH6, for athletes with short stature. Athletes in the SL4, SU5, and SH6 classes use a full court for play.
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Athletes are placed into six sport classes to ensure fairness in competition
Badminton was introduced to the Paralympics in Tokyo in 2020. The sport is open to athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including athetosis, ataxia, hypertonia, impaired muscle power, impaired passive range of motion, leg length difference, limb deficiency, and short stature.
To ensure fairness in competition, athletes are placed into six sport classes, depending on the type and severity of their impairment. These classes are:
- WH1 (Wheelchair/severe impairment): Athletes in this class have significant impairment of the lower limbs and minimal to moderate impairment of the upper limbs or trunk. They compete in a wheelchair.
- WH2 (Wheelchair/minor impairment): Athletes in this class have significant impairment of the lower limbs but no to minimal impairment of the upper limbs or trunk. They also compete in a wheelchair.
- SL3 (Standing/lower limb impairment/severe): Athletes in this class compete standing and have a significant impairment of the lower limbs.
- SL4 (Standing/lower limb impairment/minor): Athletes in this class compete standing and have a moderate impairment of the lower limbs.
- SU5 (Standing/upper limb impairment): Athletes in this class compete standing and have an impairment of the upper limbs, which can be on the playing or non-playing arm.
- SH6 (Standing/short stature): This class is for athletes with short stature.
The rules of Para badminton are mostly the same as the able-bodied version, with all events using a "best of three games" format, each of 21 points. The height of the net is the same for all classes, at 1.55m, and the shuttlecock can be made of natural and/or synthetic materials.
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The rules are the same as the able-bodied version, with a few exceptions
Para-badminton, which made its Paralympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, is open to athletes with a range of physical disabilities. The rules are the same as the able-bodied version, with a few exceptions.
The sport is played indoors with a net across the middle of the court and follows the same scoring format as Olympic badminton. A match consists of the best of three sets, with each set won by the first player to score 21 points. After scores reach 19 points, a side must be two points clear of their opponent to secure the win. Scoring reaches an upper limit of 30 points – so a game can be won at 30-29. Points are scored when a player wins a rally; the player winning the point also secures serve.
Athletes are placed into six sport classes (two wheelchair classes and four standing classes) in a system called classification to ensure fairness in competition. Wheelchair athletes are classified into WH 1 and WH 2; standing athletes with a lower impairment in SL 3 and SL 4, and upper impairment SU 5, and short stature SH 6. Athletes with short stature compete in their own class, with other impairment types competing against each other, grouped depending on if they play in a wheelchair or standing, and if the impairment is in the upper or lower limb(s).
In singles tournaments, WH1 and WH2 athletes, in addition to SL3 athletes, play on half the court. The height of the net is the same for all classes and stands at 1.55m, the same as in Olympic badminton. The shuttlecock is a piece of cork covered in goat skin with 16 goose feathers attached to one end. It can also be made of synthetic materials. It can reach speeds of up to 300km/h. Competition wheelchairs incorporate a number of modifications to aid players. A low backrest is used to avoid interference with a player's movement. In addition, extra caster wheels are added to the rear of the wheelchair to prevent it from overturning when the player reaches backwards to hit the shuttlecock.
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The height of the net is the same for all classes, at 1.55m
The height of the net in Paralympic badminton is standardised across all classes, with the top of the net set exactly 1.55m above the ground. This is the same net height used in Olympic badminton.
The net spans the court midway between the two players, dividing the court in two. In Paralympic badminton, the court measures 13.400m in length and 6.100m in width.
The net separates the two players or doubles pairs as they face off. In singles tournaments, athletes in classes WH1, WH2, and SL3 compete on a singles court, which uses only half of the full court. All other classes and doubles events use the full court, except for the area near the net, which is out of bounds.
The net is a key feature of the game, with several shots defined by their relationship to it. A "net" is a shot from the forecourt that just clears the net. A "drop" is a shot that barely gets over the net.
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Para-badminton debuted at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games
Para-badminton made its debut at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, marking the first time the sport was included in the Paralympic programme. The sport, which is a variant of badminton for athletes with a range of physical disabilities, saw 90 athletes from 28 National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) compete across 14 medal events.
Para-badminton athletes compete in men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles, and mixed doubles. The sport is played indoors with a net across the middle of the court, and the net height is the same for all classes, standing at 1.55m, the same as in Olympic badminton. The court measures 13.400m in length and 6.100m in width.
Athletes are placed into six sport classes to ensure fairness in competition. Two of these classes are wheelchair classes: WH1 for athletes with severe impairments and WH2 for athletes with minor impairments. The remaining four classes are standing classes: SL3 and SL4 for athletes with lower limb impairments, SU5 for athletes with upper limb impairments, and SH6 for athletes with short stature.
The rules of para-badminton are mostly the same as the able-bodied version, with all events following a "best of three games" format, each of 21 points. Points are scored when a player wins a rally, and the player winning the point also secures the serve. When the score reaches 20 points, the side that gains a two-point lead first wins the game. If the score reaches 29-all, the side that scores the 30th point wins. In wheelchair events and the SL3 class, a half court is used, while a full court is used for the SL4, SU5, and SH6 classes, as well as all doubles matches.
Malaysia's Liek Hou Cheah made history by capturing the sport's first-ever Paralympic gold medal at Tokyo 2020, defeating Indonesian athlete Dheva Anrimusthi 21-17, 21-15 in the final.
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Frequently asked questions
The main difference is that Paralympic badminton is played by athletes with a range of physical disabilities. The rules are mostly the same, but the court size varies depending on the athletes' impairment classifications. For instance, wheelchair athletes and those in the SL3 class play on a half court, while a full court is used for the SL4, SU5 and SH6 classes and all doubles matches.
Athletes are placed into six sport classes (two wheelchair classes and four standing classes) to ensure fairness in competition. Wheelchair athletes are classified into WH 1 and WH 2, with WH 1 having more severe impairments than WH 2. Standing athletes with a lower impairment are classified as SL 3 or SL 4, while those with an upper impairment are classified as SU 5, and those with short stature are classified as SH 6.
Athletes compete in men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles.
