WAF

Overview

Para Armwrestling is a one-on-one adaptive armwrestling discipline in which two athletes with physical disabilities compete to pin the opponent's arm. It adapts the WAF individual ruleset for athletes with impairments, most commonly lower-limb disabilities where seated competition is standard. Classifications cover am…

How to win

• 1 point per round won; best of 3 wins match; Tournament: single-elimination bracket with double-loss elimination (repec…
• Best of 3 — Win one point per round won; first to win the majority of 3 rounds takes the match.
• Single-elimination + repechage — Single-elimination bracket with double-loss (repechage) elimination, run per classification.
• Medals per class — Gold, silver, and bronze awarded per weight class, per arm, per disability class.

The game

• Two-player match — Para classes: WW1-WW4 wheelchair, AW1-AW2 ambulatory; weights follow WAF schedule, possibly consolidated lighter.
• Two competitors — Each match is between two competitors.
• Disability classifications — WAF disability classes: wheelchair WW1-WW4 (seated) and AW1-AW2 (ambulatory).
• Weight classes — Follow WAF individual schedule; Para may use consolidated lighter divisions
• Officials — One main referee, one side referee, plus classification panel verifying athlete category.

Playing the ball

• Starting position: elbows on pads; non-pulling hand grips peg; foot on floor (ambulatory) OR seated with back-support (…
• Starting position — Elbows on pads, free hand grips peg; ambulatory foot on floor or wheelchair user seated with back-support.
• Referee starts match — Referee centers the grip, then calls "Ready... Go!"
• Pin to win — Pin opponent's hand to the touch pad to win.
• Best of 3 — Best of 3 rounds at major events; single round at preliminary events.

Fouls & penalties

• Standard WAF foul taxonomy: elbow off pad, shoulder off-line, foot off floor (ambulatory) or seat-displacement (seated)…
• WAF foul taxonomy — Fouls: elbow off pad, shoulder off-line, foot off floor or seat displacement, false start, grip break.
• Anti-doping enforced — WAF anti-doping aligned with the WADA Code.
• Classification fraud — Classification fraud results in a lifetime ban.
• Unsportsmanlike conduct — Unsportsmanlike conduct results in disqualification.

Equipment

• WAF-spec table — 104 cm tall, 91-93 cm long; padded chair with back support for seated athletes; short-sleeve shirt, no jewelry.
• WAF armwrestling table — 104 cm tall, 91-93 cm long, with padded elbow pads, pegs, and touch pads.
• Adaptive seating — Wheelchair-accessible table; padded chair with back support for athletes competing seated.

🚨 Cardinal Rule— Serious violation — may trigger retaliation or social exclusion

• Never manipulate functional classification to compete downward
  — Deliberately presenting diminished function during classification testing to obtain a lower (more advantageous) class is the cardinal taboo of all Para competition, including Para Armwrestling. It is considered cheating of the highest order and is viewed as stealing opportunity from legitimately classified athletes.(WAF Para uses functional classification bands; gaming them is structurally possible and therefore culturally policed heavily by the community itself.)[1]

⚠️ Strong Expectation— Most experienced players will take notice and be upset

• Do not reference or mock an opponent's disability as psychological pressure
  — Trash talk targeting the nature, severity, or appearance of an opponent's disability is considered a serious breach of conduct. The adaptive sports community regards this as incompatible with the foundational ethos of Para competition.[1]