Para Table Tennis

Para-Table Tennis Rules

Disability Classes

Para-Table Tennis players are classified into eleven classes based on the type of disability. The first five categories are sitting classes, the other five are standing classes and the last one is for the athletes with intellectual disabilities.

Class 1

No sitting balance with severely affected playing arm because of polio or spinal cord lesion.

Class 2

No sitting balance with less affected playing arm than in Class 1.

Class 3

No trunk control but arms are minimally affected by the impairment.

Class 4

Fair sitting balance and fully functional hands and arms. Impairment may be due to cerebral palsy or spinal cord lesion.

Class 5 

Compete in a wheelchair but have a normal sitting balance, hand and arm function, have a most physical functionality similar to those in a wheelchair.

Class 6

Severe impairments in both legs and arms due to various reasons including amputations and the players can hold the racket with their mouths.

Class 7

Severe impairments in both legs and arms but less severe than Class 6.

Class 8

Moderate impairments of the playing arm or moderately affected legs.

Class 9 

Mild impairments of legs or the playing arm or severely affected non[-playing arm like amputation above the elbow.

Class 10

Minimal impairments of legs or playing arm like stiff ankle or wrist or athletes with short stature.

Class 11

Players with an intellectual disability.

Wheelchair Rules

For players playing in a wheelchair, some exceptions are there:-

If the ball returns in the direction of the net after touching the receiver’s court, or if the ball comes to rest in the receiver’s court, a let shall be called.

In the doubles event, after the service is made by the server and once it is returned by the receiver, either player of the pair may make returns. However, no player from the pair should cross the imaginary center line of the table otherwise the point shall be awarded to the opposite pair.

In singles as well as doubles matches, a pair scores a point if: the opponent touches the table before striking the ball (with either hand), the opponent’s foot or footrest touches the floor during the game or if the opponent doesn’t maintain a minimum contact with the seat or cushion or with the back of the thigh at the time of striking the ball.

Standing Rules

All the other rules (scoring, etc.) and those for standing classes are similar with that of regular table tennis; there are no exceptions.