Badminton is a sport for two or four

people. The game is either one player

against one player or a team of two
players against another team of two
players. The players use rackets to hit a
shuttlecock over a net.

A badminton-like game was known in

ancient Greece and Egypt – a game called
battledore and shuttlecock – in which two
players hit a feathered shuttlecock back
and forth with tiny rackets.
The game was played in India during the
18th Century, at which time it was called
“Poona” . In the 1860s it was adopted by
British Army officers stationed in India. The
officers took the game back to England,
where it became a success at a party given
by the Duke of Beaufort in 1873 at his
estate called “Badminton” in
Gloucestershire.
In 1877, the newly formed Bath Badminton
Club arranged the first set of written rules.
In 1899, the All England Open Badminton
Championships, the first badminton
competition in the world, was held. Since
1992, Badminton has been an Olympic
sport. The first was in the 1992 Summer
Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

Although badminton originated in England,

it is mainly played in countries of Asia such
as China, Indonesia and the Republic of
Korea that now dominates this sport.
Racket

The badminton racket is one of the most

important tools a player has in the game.
Badminton rackets are much lighter than
most other sports rackets because they are
made from materials such as carbon fiber
or lighter metals such as aluminum. Parts
of the racket include the head, throat,
shaft and handle with a maximum length
of 27.77 inches and a width of 9 inches. It
Strings that are stretched across the
opening of the racket in a checkerboard
pattern, which acts as the hitting surface.
Badminton rackets can vary widely in cost
depending on whether they are purchased
as part of a basic backyard set or as more
expensive professional models.

Shuttlecock

The badminton shuttlecock, also referred

to as a shuttle or birdie, acts similarly to a
ball in other racket sports. However, the
design of the birdie creates more drag as it
is propelled through the air due to its
feathered shape. The shuttlecock is made
up of a cone shape with a hard cork at its
tip. Shuttlecocks can be made from a
variety of materials -- more expensive
models are actually made from feathers,
and less expensive models are made from
plastic feathers. The shuttle has 16
feathers attached to the base and the
length of the feathers range between 2.44
and 2.75 inches.

Net
A mesh net divides the badminton court
into two sides. A badminton net is placed
lower than a volleyball net at five feet and
one inch high on the sides and five feet
high in the center. The length may vary
depending on whether doubles or singles
are playing, with singles reaching 17 feet
and doubles reaching 22 feet. The net is 30
inches wide with a 3-inch white tape
doubled over the top.

Facilities
The badminton court should be 44 feet
long by 22 feet wide if playing doubles,
and 44 feet long by 17 feet wide for
singles. If the facility is indoors, there
needs to be enough height for the
shuttlecock to be able to float across the
net without hitting the ceiling. This height
will vary depending on the strength of the
players.

The Laws of Badminton

The Laws of Badminton and Competition

Regulations in the BWF Statutes provide
the detail on every aspect of the game of
badminton.

Below is a brief overview - simplified

rules.

Scoring System

A match consists of the best of 3 games of

21 points.

Every time there is a serve – there is a

point scored.

The side winning a rally adds a point to its

score.

At 20 all, the side which gains a 2 point

lead first, wins that game.

At 29 all, the side scoring the 30th point,

wins that game.

The side winning a game serves first in the

next game.

Interval and Change of Ends

When the leading score reaches 11 points,

players have a 60 second interval.

A 2 minute interval between each game is

allowed.

In the third game, players change ends

when the leading score reaches 11 points.
Singles

At the beginning of the game (0-0) and

when the server’s score is even, the server
serves from the right service court. When
the server’s score is odd, the server serves
from the left service court.

If the server wins a rally, the server scores

a point and then serves again from the
alternate service court.

If the receiver wins a rally, the receiver

scores a point and becomes the new
server. They serve from the appropriate
service court – left if their score is odd, and
right if it is even.

Doubles

A side has only one ‘set’.

The service passes consecutively to the

players as shown in the diagram.

At the beginning of the game and when

the score is even, the server serves from
the right service court. When it is odd, the
server serves from the left court.

If the serving side wins a rally, the serving

side scores a point and the same server
serves again from the alternate service
court.

If the receiving side wins a rally, the

receiving side scores a point. The receiving
side becomes the new serving side.

The players do not change their respective

service courts until they win a point when
their side is serving.

If players commit an error in the service

court, the error is corrected when the
mistake is discovered.

In a doubles match between A & B against

C & D. A & B won the toss and decided to
serve. A to serve to C. A shall be the initial
server while C shall be the initial receiver.

References:

Author: Robert Wood, First Published:

2008, Page Title: Badminton History,
Website Name: Topend Sports, Access
Date (today): Thu Nov 23 2017 17:11:05
GMT+0800 (China Standard Time),
Webpage URL:
http://www.topendsports.com/sport/bad
minton/history.htm