Amanda Knapp
Badminton is a racquet sport played with lightweight rackets and a shuttlecock, which is volleyed over a high net. The sport is played with two opposing players (singles) or two pairs (doubles) and points are scored by striking the shuttlecock and landing it within the other team's half of the court. The shuttlecock is a feathered or plastic projectile that flies differently from the balls used in other sports. The sport is governed internationally by the BWF and is an Olympic event, having debuted as a Summer Olympic sport in 1992.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Sport | Badminton |
| Equipment | Lightweight rackets, shuttlecock |
| Court | Rectangular, 44 ft long and 17 ft wide for singles, 20 ft wide for doubles |
| Gameplay | Two opposing players (singles) or two pairs (doubles) |
| Scoring | Best of three games, each played to 21 points with a 2-point advantage to win |
| Governing Body | BWF (Badminton World Federation) |
| Origins | India, played at Badminton country estate in England around 1873 |
| Legends | George Thomas, Rudy Hartono, Susi Susanti |
| Olympic Sport | Debuted in 1992 with men's and women's singles and doubles; mixed doubles added in 1996 |
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What You'll Learn
Badminton rules and scoring
Badminton is a racquet sport played using a shuttlecock, also known as a birdie. The aim is to hit the shuttlecock over a net into your opponent's half of the court.
Scoring
In 2006, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) changed the scoring rules to a rally point system. This means that either player can score a point during a rally, regardless of who is serving. To win a game, a player must reach 21 points. If the game is tied at 20-20, a player must win by two clear points. If the score reaches 29-29, the first player to score the 30th point wins.
Serving
At the start of a rally, the server and receiver stand in diagonally opposite service courts. A legal serve must be hit diagonally over the net and across the court. The serve must be hit underarm and below the server's waist height. The whole of the shuttlecock should be below 1.15 metres from the ground when it is hit. The shuttlecock is not allowed to bounce. After a point is won, the players move to the opposite serving stations for the next point. There are no second serves.
Faults and violations
A player will lose a point if the shuttlecock lands outside of the court or if they touch the net with any part of their body or racquet. A player can return the shuttlecock from inside or outside the court without losing a point. A fault will also occur if the server serves before the receiver is ready or if the shuttlecock is stuck in the net. If a player hits the shuttlecock more than once in succession, they will lose the point.
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Badminton equipment
Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. The equipment used in badminton includes:
Racquets/Rackets
Badminton racquets or rackets are lightweight and easy to handle. The three most important factors when selecting a badminton racket are weight, shaft flexibility, and balance.
Shuttlecock
The shuttlecock is a feathered or in informal matches) plastic projectile that flies differently from the balls used in many other sports. The feathers create much higher drag, causing the shuttlecock to decelerate more rapidly. Shuttlecocks also have a high top speed compared to the balls used in other racquet sports, making badminton the fastest racquet sport in the world. The shuttlecock is made of a cork with sixteen goose feathers glued to its rounded base.
Net
The net is placed in the centre of the court, dividing it into two halves. The net is suspended using two standards.
Court
The badminton court is rectangular and is usually marked for both singles and doubles play, although badminton rules permit a court to be marked for singles only. The doubles court is wider than the singles court, but both are of the same length. The full width of the standard badminton court is 6.1 metres (20 feet), and in singles, this width is reduced to 5.18 metres (17 feet). The full length of the court is 13.4 metres (44 feet).
Other equipment
Other badminton equipment includes badminton bags, shoes, and accessories.
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Badminton court layout and dimensions
Badminton is a racket sport played with a shuttlecock, which is an aerodynamic conical projectile that flies through the air with the cork end first when hit. The sport is played on a rectangular court that is divided into halves by a net. The dimensions of the court vary slightly depending on whether a singles or doubles game is being played.
For both singles and doubles matches, the length of the court remains the same at 13.4 metres or 44 feet. The width of the court for singles matches is 5.18 metres or 17 feet, while for doubles matches, the width is extended to 6.1 metres or 20 feet. The full court measures 14.723 metres or 48.3 feet diagonally. The net should be placed directly in the middle of the court, stretching from sideline to sideline, and should be 1.55 metres or 5 feet high at the ends and 1.52 metres or 5 feet high in the middle. The service courts are split by a centre line and are set back from the net by a short service line of 1.98 metres or 6.5 feet. Doubles games also require a long service line that is placed 0.76 metres or 2.5 feet in from the back boundary.
The court should be surfaced with safe flooring materials such as wood, synthetic mats, or rubber flooring options. A clearance of 0.61 metres or 2 feet should be provided around the entire court, although the Badminton World Federation (BWF) recommends a 2-metre gap between the court and any walls or hazardous obstacles. For major tournaments, the BWF mandates a vertical clearance of 39 feet or 11.88 metres to prevent any shots from hitting the roof.
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Badminton history
Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock back and forth across a net. The most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players per side). The sport is believed to have ancient roots, with similar games played in ancient Greece, China, and India. The modern game, however, is said to have been invented in Gloucestershire, England in 1873 by the Duke of Beaufort, who brought it over from India. There, the game was known as "Poona" or "Poonah", named after the city of Poona (now Pune), and it was played by British army officers stationed there in the 1860s.
The rules of badminton have evolved over time. In its early days, badminton was played with sides ranging from 1 to 4 players, but it was later established that games between two or four competitors worked best. The first set of rules for the game was drawn up in Pune in 1873. These rules, known as the Pune rules, were played under until 1887 when J.H.E. Hart of the Bath Badminton Club in England introduced revised regulations. The formation of the Badminton Association of England (BAE) in 1893 marked a significant step in standardising the rules and regulations of the sport internationally. The BAE officially launched the sport on September 13, 1893, and hosted the first badminton competition, the All England Open Badminton Championships, in 1899. This competition is considered the world's first badminton tournament.
The equipment used in badminton has also undergone significant changes. The first badminton racquets were made of a single piece of wood with animal gut strings. Players would often wrap a piece of clothing around the handle for a more comfortable grip. Over time, racquets became lighter and were made of aluminium or steel. Carbon fibre revolutionised racquet construction in the 1950s, and today's racquets are typically made of graphite composite materials, which offer a combination of control and power. Shuttlecocks have also evolved; initially made from unrefined bird feathers, they are now often made from synthetic materials. The feathers on shuttlecocks create more drag, causing the shuttlecock to decelerate rapidly, and giving the sport its distinctive nature.
The development of badminton as a global sport was influenced by several organisations and tournaments. The International Badminton Federation (now the Badminton World Federation, or BWF) was formed in 1934 as the sport's governing body, with its first world championships held in 1977. The first international tournament, the Thomas Cup, took place in 1946. Badminton became an official Summer Olympic sport in 1992 in Barcelona, with four events: men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, and women's doubles. Mixed doubles were introduced at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
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Badminton players and their influence
Badminton is a racquet sport played with lightweight rackets and a shuttlecock, which is made of cork and feathers. The shuttlecock is hit back and forth, with each side allowed to strike it once before it passes over the net. The sport is played on a rectangular court, with singles and doubles formats.
The sport has been influenced by many notable players, with some sources citing its legendary players as the reason for its popularity. Here are some of the most influential badminton players:
George Thomas
Thomas founded the Thomas Cup, a prestigious badminton tournament.
Rudy Hartono
Hartono is an Indonesian badminton player who won the All-England Championships eight times.
Susi Susanti
Susanti is an Indonesian Olympic gold medallist in badminton. She won her country's first-ever gold medal in 1992.
Lin Dan
Nicknamed 'Super Dan', Dan is a Chinese badminton player considered by some to be the greatest player in the sport's history. He has won two Olympic gold medals, five World Championship titles, and achieved the "Super Grand Slam" by winning all nine major badminton titles.
Lee Chong Wei
Wei is a Malaysian-Chinese badminton player who has recorded three Olympic silver medals. He is considered one of the most famous badminton players in the world.
Prakash Padukone
Padukone is an Indian badminton player who achieved the World No. 1 ranking in 1980. He was the first Indian to win the All England Open Badminton Championships.
Fu Haifeng
Haifeng is a Chinese badminton player known for his exceptional performance in men's doubles matches. He is considered one of the greatest players in this category, demonstrating outstanding skill, strategy, and teamwork.
These players, among others, have left an indelible mark on the sport of badminton, achieving remarkable success and influencing the sport's development and popularity worldwide.
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Frequently asked questions
Badminton is a racquet sport played using lightweight rackets to hit a shuttlecock (or birdie) across a net.
Badminton can be played with larger teams, but the most common forms are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players per side). There is also "mixed doubles", where each team has a man and a woman.
Badminton is played on a rectangular court that is divided into halves by a net. Points are scored by striking the shuttlecock with the racket and landing it within the other team's half of the court, within the set boundaries. Each side may only strike the shuttlecock once before it passes over the net. A match is typically played as a best-of-three-games format, with each game played to 21 points.
Some common badminton terms include "alley", "attack clear", "carry", "deuce", "drop shot", "follow through", "forehand stroke", "backhand stroke", "air shot", "half-court shot", "high-lift shot", "half smash", and "tap".
