Abstract: In view of the important role of tectonic coal in coal mine safety production and CBM resource development, on the basis of systematically reviewing the relevant research on tectonic coal at home and abroad, the necessity of defining tectonic coal seam is discussed from three aspects: the geological origin and distribution of tectonic coal, the relationship between tectonic coal and gas outburst, and the influence of coal structure on CBM development effect; based on the above analysis, the principle and basis of defining tectonic coal seam are defined; taking the absolute thickness and relative thickness of tectonic coal in a single coal seam as the main defining indexes, we put forward the classification scheme based on the destruction of the size of the coal seam of coal structure; on the basis of tectonic coal absolute thickness of 0.5 m, 1.3 m accounting for 25%, 50%, the coal seam could be divided into primary coal seam structure, transition structure, tectonic coal seam 3 categories. We point out the significance of three kinds of coal seam in outburst risk rating and the coalbed methane development evaluation characterization.