On behalf of the World Baton Twirling Federation, I welcome everyone to the World Baton Twirling Federation’s web site.

The increasing popularity of the sport of baton twirling throughout the world brought about the formation of the WORLD BATON TWIRLING FEDERATION (WBTF) in 1977. The WBTF was formed to develop, encourage, and standardize the sport. In October of 1979, the Federation representatives met in Paris, France to finalize all plans for the first WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS OF BATON TWIRLING, bringing together teams of twirlers from ten countries to compete in a spirit of healthy, athletic competition. The United States Twirling Association, Inc. hosted the first World Championships in Seattle, Washington in 1980. Each successive year, one member country has hosted the championships.

Provisional Membership was established for new and developing countries to allow close affiliation with the Federation before moving up to Affiliate Membership, which then allows these new countries additional involvement prior to obtaining full membership status in the Federation.

The current member countries of the World Baton Twirling Federation are:

Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Catalonia, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Holland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Norway, Puerto Rico, Russia, Scotland, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States of America.

Membership in the WBTF offers the following:

• International Clinics taught by coaches from around the world are offered to all athletes following International Cup and World competition.
• A standardized Judges’ Training Program and Master Exam have been established for all WBTF events.
• A standardized Coaches’ Training Manual and training films have been established for all member countries to utilize. 
• Many member countries have been granted official sports recognition by their National Sports Governing Body and by their National Olympic Organizations.
• Baton Twirling was presented to the public for the first time as a “promotional sport” at the 1993 World Games in The Hague, Netherlands.
• In 2005, the W.B.T.F. introduced the “International Cup”, which will allows for three (3) new events to be introduced:  Solo, 2-Baton and 3-Baton
• In 2006, the compulsory event for the Senior Men and Women was be eliminated and a new “Short Program” was introduced.
• The World Baton Twirling Championships are held on each even numbered year.
• The WBTF International Cup is held on each odd numbered year.

The WBTF is committed to the ideals of democracy, fairness, and honesty; its Board of Directors work on long-range projects and oversees specific focus areas.  The Technical and Judges’ Committees have standardized the sport of baton twirling through extensive testing and development.

The World Baton Twirling Record Book, sponsored by Star Line Baton Company Inc. and the WBTF continue to contribute to the growth, development and progress made by the WBTF over the years. Baton twirling athletes have successfully raised the image of the sport to be recognized on an international level along with other Olympic sporting events. With the continued dedication and wisdom of its leaders, the WBTF will continue to demonstrate a vision of the future for the sport of baton twirling. If you are new to the sport, I encourage you to browse the site and learn more about the sport of baton twirling, including an analysis of our sport. Should you wish to contact the WBTF, please use the Contact Form.

Most Sincerely,

Sandi Wiemers
President