Andrew Pace
Badminton is a racquet sport played with shuttlecocks and racquets that resemble tennis racquets. The sport is closely related to tennis and table tennis, with similar scoring systems and equipment. However, badminton has some unique features that set it apart from other racquet sports. For example, the shuttlecock creates higher drag, causing it to decelerate more rapidly than a ball, making badminton the fastest racquet sport in the world. The roots of badminton can be traced back to ancient Greece, China, and India, but it was derived from the game Poona played by British army officers in India in the 1860s.
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What You'll Learn
Badminton's roots
Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock—a small cork hemisphere with 16 goose feathers attached—back and forth across a net. The sport is named for Badminton, the country estate of the dukes of Beaufort in Gloucestershire, England, where it was first played around 1873.
The roots of the sport can be traced to ancient Greece, China, and India, and it is closely related to the old children's game battledore and shuttlecock. The game is derived directly from 'Poona', played by British army officers stationed in India in the 1860s. The Bath Badminton Club was established in Bath, England, in 1877, and introduced new rules to the game. The formation of the Badminton Association of England (BAE) in 1893 marked a significant step in standardizing the rules and regulations of the sport. The first All England Open Badminton Championships, considered the world's first badminton tournament, were held in 1899. These developments laid the foundation for badminton's global expansion.
The sport is now one of the most popular sports globally, especially in China, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Japan, England, Denmark, and India. It is also one of the few sports that is going vegan, with the growing trend towards sustainability and the Badminton World Federation's (BWF) approval of synthetic shuttlecocks in 2021.
Badminton made its Olympic debut as a demonstration event at the 1972 and 1988 Summer Olympics and 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 four years later.
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How it's played
While no single sport is unequivocally and universally accepted as being the closest relative of badminton, there are several sports that share some key characteristics with badminton and are often mentioned in discussions of badminton's closest cousins. One of the most commonly cited sports is tennis. Badminton and tennis share a number of similarities, including the use of racquets and a net, as well as a focus on hitting a ball back and forth between opponents.
Badminton is a racquet sport played between two players (singles) or two pairs (doubles), typically with a lightweight racquet and a shuttlecock. The objective is to hit the shuttlecock over a net into your opponent's half of the court, and to do so in a way that your opponent cannot return it, thereby winning the rally.
The server starts each rally by hitting the shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands inside the diagonal service area of their opponent's court. If the server fails to do this, the server may try again, but only once for each turn. If they fault again, their opponent gets the point.
A player or team may hit the shuttlecock only once before it passes over the net to their opponents. The rally continues until one side fails to return the shuttlecock, or hits it out of bounds, or a player touches the net or enters their opponents' side of the court with their racquet, or a player or their clothing touches the net or net posts while the shuttlecock is in play.
Players must return the shuttlecock before it hits the ground, and without it touching any part of their body other than their hands (and then only the base of the thumb and finger while holding the racquet). The shuttlecock may be hit with either an underhand or overhead stroke, but the racquet head must be below the player's wrist when hitting the shuttlecock.
Each time a player or team wins a rally, they score a point. Most games are played to 21 points, and a player or team must win by two points. If the score reaches 29-all, then the game is won by the first side to reach 30 points. Matches are typically played as the best of three games.
Badminton has a unique scoring system, and the tournament format can also vary, with single or double elimination formats being common. The rules for service, faults, and lets (when a rally is halted and replayed without affecting the score) can vary depending on the format and governing body, so it's always worth checking the specific rules for a given competition.
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Scoring
Badminton is a racquet sport that involves two opposing players (singles) or two pairs of players (doubles) who use a shuttlecock during a rally. The aim is to land the shuttlecock on the opponent's court or force an error. A match is played in a best-of-three games format, with each game played to 21 points. A player must secure two out of three games to win the match.
If the game is tied at 20-20, a player must achieve a two-point advantage to win the game. If the score reaches 29-29, the first player to score the 30th point wins. This scoring system is known as "rally scoring" or "rally point system", where either side can score at any time, regardless of who served. This system was adopted by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) in 2006, replacing the previous rules where points were awarded only to the serving side.
In addition to the basic scoring rules, there are also concepts of "let" and "fault" in badminton. A "let" is called by the referee if an unforeseen or accidental issue arises, such as the shuttlecock landing on the court due to players in an adjacent court or the receiver being unprepared for the service. In such cases, the rally is stopped and replayed with no change to the score. A "fault" is called if a player deliberately distracts their opponent, the shuttlecock is caught and flung by the racket, or the shuttlecock is hit twice. A fault results in a point being awarded to the opponent.
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Court size
The court size for badminton is a key consideration for players, with dimensions varying slightly depending on the type of game being played. The sport is typically played on a rectangular indoor court, with the option of outdoor play for casual games.
For singles matches, the court measures 13.4 metres (44 feet) in length and 5.2 metres (17 feet) in width. This width is reduced from the full width of 6.1 metres (20 feet) for doubles matches. The net, which is 1.5 metres (5 feet) high, sits in the middle of the court, dividing it into two halves of equal size.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) guidelines specify a standard court length of 13.4 metres (44 feet) for both singles and doubles competitions. However, the width differs, with the singles court measuring 5.18 metres (17 feet) and the doubles court extending to 6.1 metres (20 feet). The total area of a badminton court is 880 square feet, and it should have a clearance area of at least 1 metre on the sides and 1.5 metres from the back boundary line.
Badminton courts are designed to be laid on wooden floors with synthetic mats or porous asphalt. The surface provides cushion and comfort to players, accommodating their quick movements and ensuring a good playing experience. The court dimensions and surface play a crucial role in facilitating the fast-paced nature of the sport.
It's worth noting that a junior badminton court is modified to measure 34 feet in length, making it more accessible for younger players. The net may also be lowered to 2.5 feet (30 inches) for junior games, allowing for easier reach and encouraging engagement with the sport.
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Similar sports
Badminton is a racquet sport played with racquets and a shuttlecock. The sport is played either one player against one player, or two players against two players. Points are scored by striking the shuttlecock with the racquet and landing it within the other team's half of the court, within set boundaries. Each side may only strike the shuttlecock once before it passes over the net.
Given its use of racquets and a shuttlecock, badminton is most closely related to tennis and table tennis. However, there are some key differences between badminton and these racquet sports. For example, in badminton, the server only gets one try when serving, whereas in tennis, they get two chances. Additionally, in tennis, the ball can bounce once before the point ends, but in badminton, the rally is ended when the shuttlecock touches the floor. The shuttlecock also has feathers, which creates drag and affects its flight path, something that is not present in tennis or table tennis.
Badminton is also descended from the ancient game of battledore and shuttlecock, which was played by children. The sport is also derived from 'Poona', a game played by British army officers stationed in India in the 1860s.
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Frequently asked questions
Badminton is closely related to the ancient game of battledore and shuttlecock, also known as "Poona", which was played in ancient Greece, China, and India.
Poona was played by British army officers stationed in Pune, India, in the 1860s. The rules were formalised in 1873, and the sport was renamed after the country estate of the Duke of Beaufort in Gloucestershire, England, where it was gaining popularity.
Badminton is a racquet sport played with racquets and a shuttlecock. The aim is to hit the shuttlecock back and forth over a net, landing it within the boundaries of the other team's half of the court.
Shuttlecocks were traditionally made from 16 goose feathers attached to a small cork hemisphere. However, synthetic shuttlecocks are now also used, with the Badminton World Federation approving their use in sanctioned tournaments in 2021.
