Helena Frye
Badminton is a racquet sport played using rackets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. The game is played on a rectangular court and can be played in singles or doubles format. While singles consist of one player per side, doubles matches have two players per side. Points are scored when the shuttlecock successfully lands in the opponent's half of the court or when the opponent commits a fault. Badminton is often played casually outdoors, but professional games are played on indoor courts. The sport is governed by the Badminton World Federation (BWF), which organizes several international competitions, including the Thomas Cup for men's teams and the Uber Cup for women's teams.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of players | 1 (singles) or 2 (doubles) per side |
| Equipment | Rackets, shuttlecock |
| Court dimensions | 6.1m x 13.4m (doubles), smaller for singles |
| Net height | 1.55m at the edges, 1.524m in the centre |
| Scoring | Best of 3 games, each game up to 21 points |
| International competitions | Thomas Cup (men), Uber Cup (women), Sudirman Cup (mixed), BWF World Championships, Olympic Games |
| Governing body | Badminton World Federation (BWF) |
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What You'll Learn
Singles and doubles matches
The most common forms of badminton are singles, with one player per side, and doubles, with two players per side. The rules of the game remain the same regardless of the format, but doubles require different strategies and techniques.
In doubles, the court has wider sidelines to make room for both players. The service boxes are also slightly longer in singles, with a boundary line at the back of the court. One of the most significant differences in doubles is the need to keep track of service rotation, i.e., which player should be serving and from which side. Doubles matches tend to be faster-paced, with more smashes, and require greater court coverage. In defence, doubles partners typically stand side-by-side to maximise their coverage of the court. This means that doubles often involve more offensive and defensive shots, such as lifts, blocks, clears, and drives.
In singles, the focus is more on positioning and footwork to make up for the lack of court coverage. Singles players aim to move their opponents around the court, forcing them into the backcourt or to the front, or into one of the corners. This is because the opponent is likely to aim for a shot that the single player cannot reach. Singles matches tend to involve higher lifts and steeper shots.
At an amateur level, doubles players may not have the synergy or fitness to cover the whole court, so singles tactics can still be effective. However, at higher levels of play, doubles players will have mastered their court coverage, and singles tactics become less effective.
Badminton is a demanding sport that requires aerobic stamina, agility, strength, speed, and precision. It is often compared to tennis but differs in scoring and the properties of the shuttlecock, which give it a unique character.
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Scoring
At the start of the game, with the score at 0-0, the serving pair chooses who will serve first, and the receiving pair chooses who will receive. The server will then serve from either the left or right court, depending on whether their score is odd or even. For example, if the server has an odd score, they will serve from the left court; if their score is even, they will serve from the right. The receiver will stand in the diagonally opposite service court.
In singles, the server will always serve from the right service court when their score is even. In doubles, the same player continues to serve for their side until the opponents win a rally and gain the serve. However, the server will switch between the left and right service courts depending on their score, as previously described. It is important to note that no player should receive two consecutive services in the same game.
A match is typically played as the best of three games, with each game played up to 21 points. If the score reaches 20-20, the game continues until one side achieves a two-point advantage, with a maximum score of 30. For example, a winning score could be 22-20 or 25-23, but not 21-20 or 24-23. If the score reaches 29-29, the first side to score 30 points wins.
At the end of the first game, players change ends. If a third game is required, they change ends again at the end of the second game and when one side reaches 11 points in the deciding game.
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International competitions
Badminton is governed by the Badminton World Federation (BWF), which organises several international competitions. These include the Thomas Cup, the leading international team event for men, and the Uber Cup, its female equivalent. Both competitions take place once every two years, with more than 50 national teams competing in qualifying tournaments within continental confederations. The Sudirman Cup is another international team event, but this one features mixed-gender teams and also takes place biennially.
The BWF organises its tournaments into four grades, based on prestige, ranking points, and prize money. Grade 1 tournaments, which include the Olympic Games, BWF World Championships, and BWF World Tour Finals, represent the highest level of competition in the BWF tournament structure. The BWF World Championships, first held in 1977, only feature the highest-ranked 64 players in the world, with a maximum of four participants from each country in any category.
The All-England Championships is the best-known regional, national, or zonal badminton tournament. Other well-known international tournaments include the Malaysia Open BWF Super 1000 tournament, which will be the first event on the 2024 badminton schedule, and the BWF World Tour Finals, which will be the last. The Paris 2024 Olympics will be the highlight of the 2024 badminton calendar.
Badminton was first played at the Olympic Games as a demonstration event in 1972 and 1988. It became an official Summer Olympic sport in 1992, with four events: men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, and women's doubles. Mixed doubles were added in 1996.
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Standardised rules
The standardised rules of badminton are governed by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). The BWF is the internationally recognised authority on the sport and is responsible for regulating tournaments and enforcing fair play.
A badminton team can consist of either one or two players, with games being played in singles or doubles formats. In singles, there is one player per side, whereas in doubles, there are two players per side. Each player is equipped with a lightweight racket, which they use to strike a shuttlecock—a feathered or plastic projectile—back and forth over a net, aiming to land it within the boundaries of their opponent's half of the court.
The badminton court is rectangular and marked for both singles and doubles matches. The doubles court measures 6.1 metres (20 feet) in width and 13.4 metres (44 feet) in length, with the singles court being slightly smaller. The net stands at 1.55 metres (5 feet 1 inch) high at the edges and 1.524 metres (5 feet) high in the centre.
To start a singles game, players stand in diagonally opposite service courts, and the server initiates the game by serving the shuttlecock underhand from below the waist. If the receiver believes the serve will land outside their service court, they can choose not to return it and will win the point if it indeed goes out. If the receiver intends to return the serve, they must do so before the shuttlecock bounces. If a successful return is made, a rally begins. The rally continues until a player wins a point by hitting a shot that their opponent cannot return, or until a player commits a fault, resulting in a loss of rally. Each side may only strike the shuttlecock once before it passes over the net, and play ends once the shuttlecock touches the ground or a fault is called by the umpire, service judge, or the opposing side in their absence.
In a match, games are played to 21 points, and a player must win by a margin of at least two points. If the score reaches 29-all, the game concludes with the next point scored—this is known as the "golden point". A match is typically played as the best of three games.
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Equipment
Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock—also known as a "'birdie'"—across a net. The equipment used in badminton can be divided into several categories: the court, the net, the racquets, the shuttlecock, and the players' clothing and accessories.
The Court
The badminton court is rectangular and measures 44 feet (13.4 meters) long and 17 feet (5.2 meters) wide for singles matches, extending to 20 feet (6.1 meters) wide for doubles matches. The court is divided into two halves, each measuring 22 feet (6.7 meters), and these halves are further divided down the middle by a line to create service courts. There are two service lines: the short service line, which is 6.5 feet (1.98 meters) from the net, and the long service line, which is 2.36 feet (0.72 meters) from the baseline.
The Net
The badminton net is made of a dark-colored cord mesh and is held in place by posts placed on the outer sideline (doubles sideline). The net measures 5 feet 1 inch (1.55 meters) tall at the posts and 5 feet (1.52 meters) tall at the center of the court. The top of the net is edged with approximately 3 inches of white tape doubled over a cable.
The Racquets
Badminton racquets, also known as rackets, are made from various materials, including wood, steel, aluminum, graphite, titanium, alloys, carbon fiber, ceramic, or boron. They are designed to be lightweight, typically weighing between 3 and 3.5 ounces (approximately 85 to 100 grams). The strings on the racquet are made of synthetic threads and must form a uniform pattern. The stringed area cannot exceed 11 inches (27.9 cm) in length and 8.7 inches (22.1 cm) in width.
The Shuttlecock
The shuttlecock is the unique "ball" of badminton. It is made of feathers or synthetic material attached to a cork or rubber base. The feathers are fixed in the base, enveloped in a thin leather sheet, and the best shuttlecocks are made from goose feathers. The shuttlecock is cone-shaped, with a length of 2.5 to 2.7 inches (62 to 70 mm) and a weight of approximately 0.17 ounces (4.74 to 5.5 grams).
Clothing and Accessories
Badminton players typically wear shorts and short-sleeved shirts or t-shirts, which should be comfortable and allow for a full range of movement. Thick cotton socks are recommended to absorb sweat and prevent slipping inside shoes. For competitive matches, players may also require hand grips, wristbands, and ankle guards.
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Frequently asked questions
A badminton team is a group of players who compete in the sport of badminton. Badminton teams can vary in size, with the most common forms of the game being singles (one player per side) and doubles (two players per side).
In competitive badminton, teams usually consist of either one or two players, depending on whether it is a singles or doubles match.
In addition to the number of players, badminton teams can also be categorized by gender. There are men's teams, women's teams, and mixed teams that consist of both men and women.
The rules for badminton teams vary depending on the specific tournament and governing body. However, some basic rules include the use of racquets to hit a shuttlecock back and forth over a net, with the aim of making it land in the opponent's court without committing any faults.
Some well-known international badminton team tournaments include the Thomas Cup for men's teams and the Uber Cup for women's teams, both organized by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). National teams also compete in the Olympics, with badminton becoming an official Summer Olympic sport in 1992.
