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Badminton is a racquet sport played with racquets and a shuttlecock, which is hit back and forth over a net. The sport can be played casually outdoors, or professionally on a rectangular indoor court. Badminton can be played in singles or doubles formats. In singles, there are two players competing against each other, whereas in doubles, two pairs of players form teams and compete against each other, resulting in a game of four players.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of players in a team | 1 (singles) or 2 (doubles) |
| Number of teams | 2 |
| Total number of players | 2 (singles) or 4 (doubles) |
| Court length (singles) | 13.41m (44ft) |
| Court width (singles) | 5.18m (17ft) |
| Court width (doubles) | 6.1m (20ft) |
| Net height | 1.55m (5ft 1in) at the ends; 1.52m (5ft) in the middle |
| Serve rules | The serve must pass the short service line, 1.98m (6.5ft) from the net |
| Scoring rules | A point is scored on every serve and awarded to the side that wins the rally; first side to 21 points wins the game |
| Game rules | Best of 3 games to win a match; if the score is 20-20, the game continues until a side wins by 2 clear points; if the score reaches 29-29, the first side to get 30 points wins |
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What You'll Learn
Singles and doubles
The most common forms of badminton are singles and doubles. In singles, there is one player per side, whereas doubles involves two players per side. Badminton is often played casually outdoors, but professional games take place on an indoor rectangular court.
In both singles and doubles, a match is typically played as the best of three games, with each game going up to 21 points. If the score reaches 29-all, the next point scored wins the game. Points are scored by hitting the shuttlecock with the racquet and landing it within the boundaries of the opposing side of the court. Each side may only strike the shuttlecock once before it passes over the net.
In doubles, players must be careful and systematic in their shot selection to avoid being outmaneuvered by their opponents. For instance, a pair may try to force the woman towards the back or the man to the front, reversing the ideal position. To counter this, the pair can switch back to the standard mixed attacking position, with the woman in front and the man in the back.
When playing with a group of people, it is common to rent a court for every six players, as sharing a court among ten players can result in long downtimes.
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Scoring
In badminton, a match is typically played as the best of three games, with each game played up to 21 points. The first side to reach 21 points wins the game, and a point is scored on every serve, going to whichever side wins the rally. If the score reaches 20-20, the game continues until one side achieves a two-point advantage and wins by two clear points. For example, a score of 22-20 or 25-23 would be a win, but 21-20 or 24-23 would not be sufficient. If the score reaches 29-29, the first side to score the 30th point wins.
The rules for serving in badminton are as follows: at the start of the game, when the score is 0-0, the serving pair chooses who serves first, and the receiving pair chooses who receives. The server and receiver stand in diagonally opposite service courts. The even/odd rule applies, meaning that if the server's score is odd, they serve from the left court, and if it is even, they serve from the right court. In singles, the server stands in their right service court when their score is even and moves to the left court when their score is odd. In doubles, the server will start on the right and keep serving while alternating sides with their partner as long as they keep winning points. If the serving side wins a rally, the same person serves again but from the other service court. The serve does not alternate between partners and stays with one person until the opponents win a rally and gain the serve.
Points are scored by striking the shuttlecock with the racquet and landing it within the other team's half of the court, within the set boundaries. A legal serve must be hit diagonally over the net and across the court. The whole shuttlecock should be below 1.15 metres from the surface of the court when hit by the server, with the racquet shaft pointing downwards. The shuttlecock is not allowed to bounce. After a point is won, the players move to the opposite serving stations for the next point. The rules do not allow second serves, and players are not allowed to touch the net with any part of their body or racquet. If a ""let" is called, the rally is stopped and replayed with no change to the score, due to some disturbance or if the receiver is not ready.
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Team events
Badminton is a racket sport played with rackets and a shuttlecock. The most common forms of the game are singles, with one player per side, and doubles, with two players per side. However, badminton can also be played with larger teams.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) is the internationally recognized governing body of the sport and is responsible for regulating tournaments and enforcing fair play. The BWF organizes several international competitions, including the Thomas Cup, a premier men's international team event, and the Sudirman Cup, a gender-mixed international team event held once every two years.
The Sudirman Cup features teams from different countries, divided into seven levels based on performance. The tournament includes five disciplines: men's doubles and singles, women's doubles and singles, and mixed doubles. To win the tournament, a country must perform well across all five disciplines.
In addition to international team events, badminton can also be played as a team sport at the club or community level. When playing with a larger group, it is common to rent a court for every six players to ensure adequate playing time and minimize downtime. Strategies can also be employed to ensure that players of varying skill levels are evenly matched and that everyone gets a chance to play.
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Court size
The standard size of a badminton court is 13.41 m (44 ft) in length and 6.1 m (20 ft) in width for doubles matches, and 5.18 m (17 ft) in width for singles matches. The outer sidelines, or "outer tramlines", run the full length of the court at 13.41 m (44 ft). The sidelines are marked 5.18 m (17 ft) apart for doubles matches, and 0.46 m (1.5 ft) inside these lines for singles matches. The inner sidelines, or singles sidelines, set the width of the court for singles matches. Any shot that falls outside the inner sidelines is considered "out of play" in a singles match.
The service line for singles is located 6.5 ft (1.98 m) from the net, and is the same for both singles and doubles play. The long service line is located 2 ft 6 inches (0.76 m) from the back boundary line and is used for doubles service. The net spans the width of the court at 6.1 m (20 ft) wide and is 1.55 m (5.1 ft) high at the sides, sagging slightly towards the centre, which is required to be 1.52 m (5 ft) high. The poles supporting the net are 1.55 m high, while the mesh net itself has a height of 0.79 m (2.6 ft) with a gap of 0.76 m (2.5 ft) underneath.
The official distance that should be left as a "surround" or border to a badminton court is 0.61 m (2 ft) around the perimeter. However, if there are walls or other structures surrounding the court, it is recommended that there should be a safety border of at least 2 m from the sidelines and baselines to the nearest wall or structure.
For younger players, the net may be lowered to 2.5 ft (30 inches) and the length of the court reduced to 34 ft. The width remains the same at 20 ft, but the service line and back boundary lines can be adjusted to suit the players' ability levels.
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Equipment
Badminton is a racquet sport played with racquets and a shuttlecock. The equipment required for a game of badminton is as follows:
Racquets
Badminton racquets are lightweight, weighing between 70 and 95 grams (excluding grip or strings). They are made from a variety of materials, including carbon fibre composite (graphite-reinforced plastic), solid steel, aluminium, and wood. Nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes and fullerenes are added to modern racquets to increase their durability.
Shuttlecock
The shuttlecock is a feathered or plastic projectile that is hit back and forth across the net. The choice of material depends on the formality of the game, with feathered shuttlecocks being used in professional games and plastic shuttlecocks being used in informal matches.
Net
A net is required to separate the two sides of the court. The net should be placed at a height that is challenging but not impossible to hit the shuttlecock over.
Court
The badminton court is rectangular and is usually marked out on a flat, indoor surface. The dimensions of the court are standard, with specific boundaries within which the shuttlecock must land to score a point.
Footwear and Clothing
Players should wear suitable footwear that provides good grip and allows for quick movements. Badminton-specific shoes are available, but other indoor sports shoes may also be suitable. Comfortable and flexible clothing that allows for a full range of motion is also recommended.
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Frequently asked questions
The number of players on a badminton team depends on the type of game being played. In singles, there are two players competing against each other, so one player per team. In doubles, two pairs of players form teams and compete against each other, resulting in a team of two players.
Yes, although less common, badminton can be played with larger teams. There are also mixed doubles, which are played with teams of four players, two men and two women.
In doubles, a badminton court is 13.41m (44ft) long and 6.1m (20ft) wide. The net is 1.55m (5ft 1in) high at the ends and 1.52m (5ft) high in the middle.
The Sudirman Cup is a mixed-gender international team event held biennially since 1989. The Thomas Cup is the premier men's international team event. Badminton has also been an Olympic sport since 1992 and was introduced as a team event in 1996.
