Special Olympics Badminton competitions follow Badminton World Federation rules; however Special Olympics Badminton offers some adaptions that are optional when conducting competitions.
The differences and adaptations to the BWF rules can be found here in the Official Sports Essentials Badminton Rules
Badminton is an inclusive sport that is accessible for all. It is suitable for all ages and abilities. It is a safe, fun, low impact sport that supports the development of key physical and social skills. Special Olympics Badminton offers an opportunity for all athletes to learn and compete at a local level up to Regional and World Games competitions.
A net game.
Played on a rectangular court.
A volleying game, with rallies beginning with an underarm serve.
A game that has five disciplines – singles (men / women), doubles (men / women and mixed).
Requires player to have each a racket and shuttlecock
Landing the shuttlecock in your opponent’s court.
Forcing your opponent to hit the shuttlecock out of the court area.
Forcing your opponent to hit the shuttlecock into the net.
Striking your opponent’s body with the shuttle.
Singles badminton involves serving diagonally into a long, narrow service box. Rallying then continues on a long court with the border on the first side line. The shuttle is served diagonally into the opponents ‘service box’.
Doubles badminton involves serving diagonally into a shorter, wider service box than in singles badminton. After the serve, rallying takes place on the whole court area. The shuttle is served diagonally into a shorter, wider service box in doubles. After the serve, doubles rallies are played on the whole court area.
For athletes with a physical disability, court sizes are adapted according to the category of player under the Para badminton classification system. For more details of this, download the Laws of Badminton from the BWF website.
The rules of Badminton do not differ across events with key rules such as scoring, net height, court sizes, rules regulations and equipment staying the same. Special Olympics Badminton has set divisioning rules that ensure there is fair competition across all competitors. (refer to Divisioning section in this document).
Badminton World Federation’s Shuttle Time resources come with a series of lessons, videos and guides to support not only teachers but anyone looking to support young people or adults with their badminton journey.
Shuttle Time resources can be found on BWF Shuttle Time website as well as the Special Olympics badminton resource page, and are free to sign up and download in either PDF form or access via the Shuttle Time App. The Online component gives you an overview of the basics and introduces you to the resource and how to use effectively. The resource has been produced in 30 different languages with supporting videos for each lesson produced in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.
Download Shuttle Time App for free
Badminton supports the development of all-round physical skills including:
Hand-eye coordination;
Catching and throwing;
Stability and balance;
Speed and agility – the ability to quickly change direction;
Jumping and landing skills;
Decision making / tactical.
To access additional badminton coaching resources, there are BWF Shuttle Time and Coach Education Level 1 videos playlist available on the BWF Development Youtube channel.
There are many good reasons why badminton is an ideal sport for all. (Badminton at a Glance link)
Badminton is equally accessible to all genders.
Badminton is a safe, low impact sport.
Badminton builds fundamental sporting skills.
People of all abilities can be successful in developing skills which will allow them to play badminton for life.
On a social level, everyone can play, train and compete together.
Badminton is accessible for people with disabilities playing within the divisioning rules.
Badminton is an all-round sport that requires the development of fundamental skills:
Technical: How to move and hit the shuttle.
Tactical: Decision making, depending upon awareness.
Physical: Strength, speed, endurance, flexibility, etc.
Psychological: Self-reliance, confidence, control, concentration, commitment.
Lifestyle: Balance of activities, time management, parents, nutrition, injury management.
All areas are not only required for the development of badminton players but are key components of the athletes’ personal and social development.
BWF Coach Level 1 Module 5 breaks down each of these fundamentals into key stages of development and highlights within each area what the focus is with each stage. Although these development stages focus on age groups, we know that many athletes will come to the sport at all ages and stages; therefore, it is important to look at the factors within each stage that are most appropriate to your athletes’ development.
Access to BWF Coach Level 1 resources link
Divisioning at Special Olympics: Athletes in every sport and event are grouped by age, gender, and ability – giving everyone a reasonable chance to win.
At Special Olympics there are no World Records because each athlete, whether in the fastest or the slowest division is valued and recognized equally.
In every division, all athletes receive an award, from gold, silver, and bronze medals, to fourth through eighth place ribbons. This idea of equal ability groupings is the foundation for competition in Special Olympics and can be witnessed at all events, whether it’s badminton, athletics, swimming, table tennis, football, skiing, or gymnastics.
All athletes are given an equal chance to participate, perform, and be recognized for doing their best by their teammates, family, friends, and fans
Divisioning in Badminton is a two-stage process. The first stage is an Athlete Assessment conducted by the athlete’s coach at their respective Accredited program. This process helps to create initial divisions for the next stage of grouping which occurs at in-person competition. The Badminton Athlete Divisioning Assessment form can be found on the Special Olympics website by clicking here, and the corresponding instructional videos can also be found by clicking here.
The second stage of divisioning is conducted at the in-person competition, where athlete’s results are validated through match play. Athletes are then placed into groups of similar ability for competitive competition.
Badminton equipment can range in quality from backyard sets to top-quality professional merchandise. It is important that badminton equipment be selected for durability. It is important for athletes to be able to recognize and understand how equipment impacts their safety and performance. Have your athletes name each piece of equipment as you show it and give the use for each. To reinforce this ability within them, have them select their own equipment.
Today’s rackets are made from a variety of materials such as boron, carbon, graphite, and metal and range in price greatly. Most rackets used in badminton are very light and weigh between 3.5 and 4.2 ounces.
Most rackets have nylon strings which are inexpensive and durable.
Many tennis shops can repair broken strings and can individualize string tensions for player preference. Athletes should select a racket that has a grip size that feels good in their hand and a weight that is comfortable for them. Leather grips provide a good grip initially. A variety of terry cloth, rubber, or foam grip wraps are also available to help maintain good grip control. Ultimately, if athletes like their rackets, they will play their best.
Plastic, nylon, and feather are the three types of shuttlecocks, sometimes also referred to as the birdie, shuttle, or bird. Nylon shuttles are recommended for both practice and competition for durability, economic, and performance reasons.
Appropriate badminton attire is required for all competitors. As a coach, discuss the types of sport clothes that are acceptable and not acceptable for training and competition. Discuss the importance of wearing properly fitted clothing, along with the advantages and disadvantages of certain types of clothing worn during training and competitions. For example, long pant jeans and blue jean shorts are not proper badminton attire for any event. Explain that they cannot perform their best while wearing jeans that restrict their movement. Take athletes to local badminton competitions and point out the attire being worn. You can even set the example by wearing appropriate attire to training and competitions and not rewarding athletes that do not come properly dressed to train and/or compete.
T-shirts and collared polo style shirts are typically worn for badminton practice and competition. Comfort, sweat absorption, and ease of movement in the shoulder area are good to consider when selecting practice or competition shirts.
Appropriate sport shoes are required for badminton. The type of shoes worn will depend to a large degree on the playing surface and the individual preference of the athlete. Comfortable tennis shoes, which give solid ankle, arch, and heel support are advised.
Socks of varying lengths are all appropriate for badminton practice and competition. Socks should possess good absorption qualities. Athletes who are prone to blisters should wear two pairs of socks for both practice and competition.
Comfortable, action-oriented shorts are recommended for both practice and competition. A tennis dress or a blouse and skirt may be the choice for some women.
