How the para badminton world rankings work
The BWF ranks para badminton players in 22 events: singles and doubles in each sport class (wheelchair WH1 and WH2, standing SL3, SL4 and SU5, short stature SH6, in various combinations). As in Olympic badminton:
- players earn points by how far they get in a tournament;
- bigger tournaments give more points: winning the Paralympic Games or World Championships is worth 13,000; a Level 1 international 12,000; Level 2 8,000; Level 3 5,000;
- a player's ranking counts their best six results, which must include a Level 2 tournament if they played six or more.
India's para shuttlers (Pramod Bhagat, Krishna Nagar, Manisha Ramadass, Nitesh Kumar and others) appear on these lists.
Tournament grades
| Grade | Tournaments | Winner (knockout) |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 | Paralympic Games, Para Badminton World Championships | 13,000 |
| Grade 2 Level 1 | Top international tournaments | 12,000 |
| Grade 2 Level 2 | International tournaments | 8,000 |
| Grade 2 Level 3 | Smaller international tournaments | 5,000 |
| Continental championships and continental para games | Asia, Europe, Pan Am, Africa and Oceania | 12,000 (Asia) to 5,000 |
Knockout points
| Grade | Winner | Runner-up | Semi-final | Quarter-final | 9 to 16 | 17 to 32 | 33 to 64 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paralympics, World Championships | 13,000 | 10,400 | 8,300 | 6,750 | 5,700 | 5,100 | |
| Level 1 | 12,000 | 9,500 | 7,450 | 6,559 | 5,440 | 4,800 | |
| Level 2 | 8,000 | 6,855 | 5,622 | 4,728 | 3,910 | 3,600 | 3,000 |
| Level 3 | 5,000 | 4,400 | 3,830 | 3,300 | 2,880 | 2,330 | 1,780 |
At the Paralympics, 3rd place gets 9,230 and 4th 8,300.
Continental championships and para games:
| Continent | Winner | Runner-up | Semi-final | Quarter-final | 9 to 16 | 17 to 32 | 33 to 64 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asia | 12,000 | 9,500 | 7,450 | 6,559 | 5,440 | 4,800 | |
| Europe | 10,000 | 8,178 | 6,536 | 5,643 | 4,632 | 4,200 | |
| Pan Am | 8,000 | 6,855 | 5,622 | 4,728 | 3,910 | 3,600 | 3,000 |
| Africa and Oceania | 5,000 | 4,400 | 3,830 | 3,300 | 2,880 | 2,330 | 1,780 |
At the Asian Para Games, 3rd place (if there is a play-off) gets 8,355 and 4th 7,450. The Asian Championships are worth the same as a Level 1 tournament.
Group stages
Many para events start with groups. Group points (Paralympics and World Championships; Level 1 and Asia in brackets):
| Group place | Points |
|---|---|
| 1st | 800 (750) |
| 2nd | 0 |
| 3rd | 4,410 (4,375) |
| 4th | 3,920 (3,650) |
Read with the knockout table, this means the group winner gets a bonus on top of their knockout points, and players knocked out in the group get points by their group place. A player who does not finish all group matches gets their group-place points × 0.5.
Small events (round robin)
When an event has only four or five entries it is played as a round robin, with its own table: for example, a Level 1 event with five entries gives 7,450, 6,200, 5,550, 4,900 and 4,200; with four entries, 6,200, 5,550, 4,900 and 4,200. If a Level 1 event has three or fewer players after classes are combined, it gives 4,850, 4,030 and 3,410 (three players), 4,420 and 3,740 (two) or 4,050 (one).
Combined classes (Level 1 only): when a less impaired class is merged in, its players' points are multiplied by 0.70 to 0.90 (round robin) or 0.55 to 0.85 (knockout), depending on how many of them there are. A more impaired player gets 550 extra points for each win against a less impaired one.
Points are given only when an event has at least four entries from at least two countries; otherwise classes are combined.
How long points last
| Tournament | Points kept |
|---|---|
| Grade 2 (Levels 1 to 3) | 100% for 52 weeks, 50% for weeks 53 to 78, then dropped (or when the next edition is held) |
| Paralympic Games | 52 weeks |
| World Championships | Until the next World Championships, at most 104 weeks |
| Continental championships | Until the next continental championships |
Counting and ties
A player's total is their best six results, including at least one Level 2 tournament if they played six or more. Points count in the player's own class or a less impaired one. Ties go to the player with more tournaments played; if still level, they share the place. Rankings are published on Tuesdays after a tournament.
Wildcards who win no match get half the points for their place. A player who withdraws against a team-mate from the same country at the World Championships, a Level 1 or a continental championship loses the knockout points.
A worked example
Made up to show the arithmetic. An Indian SL3 player's best six: Asian Para Games gold (12,000), World Championships semi-final (8,300), two Level 1 quarter-finals (6,559 each), a Level 2 title (8,000) and a Level 3 final (4,400). Total: 12,000 + 8,300 + 6,559 + 6,559 + 8,000 + 4,400 = 45,818. Seven months later the Level 2 title drops to 50%: the total falls by 4,000 unless a better result replaces it.
Where the document disagrees with itself
- The continental round robin table for four entries (6.11.6.2) is identical to the one for five entries, including a "Fifth" column, which a four-entry event cannot have.
- 6.11.8.1 repeats 6.11.8 and points to a "clause 6.6.1" that does not exist.
- The yellow highlighting suggests the text was published with its changes still marked.
Variations
| Ranking | Covered here |
|---|---|
| All 22 para badminton events | Yes (same method) |
| Junior para badminton | No |
| Olympic badminton | Separate explainer |