10 RULES OF
BADMINTON
Badminton is a racket sport that needs two players for singles or four players for doubles. A net runs
across the center of a rectangular court. A lightweight shuttlecock is used instead of a ball, adding the
challenge of the effects of wind during play, which is one of the reasons the game is often played
indoors. According to Collegesportsscholarships.com, the goal of the players is to hit the shuttlecock
or birdie over the net into a position that the other team can't return it before it hits the floor or ground.
COIN TOSS
You start a badminton match by tossing a coin. The team that wins the toss may choose who will
serve or which court it wants. The other team gets to choose the other.
BADMINTON NET
The player is not allowed to touch the net that divides the court. If the racket or player touches the
net, the other team gets the point.
SHUTTLECOCK AND RACKET CONTACT
The player may not allow the racket to carry the shuttlecock. The shuttlecock may not remain on the
racket after the strike.
SERVE
The player must hit the shuttlecock in a position below the waist. While serving, the player may not
touch the court boundaries until after the shuttlecock is in play. The serve must move across the net
diagonally in order to be a good play.
SHUTTLECOCK IN PLAY
Players may hit the shuttlecock after it goes over the net, into their side of the court. They may not hit
the shuttlecock when it is on the opposing team's side of the net.
RALLY
The shuttlecock is hit back and forth across the net for a rally. When a fault is called, the other team
wins the rally.
SCORING
When the team wins a rally, a point is scored. According to Badminton.org, men may play to 15 or 17
total points for a game, and women may play to 11 or 13 total points. Points are scored by the serving
team.
FAULT
A fault is called when a player doesn't hit the shuttlecock over the net or hits it out of bounds. Other
faults in badminton include striking the shuttlecock above the waist, touching the net with any part of
the body or racket, allowing the shuttlecock to rest of the racket, hitting the shuttlecock into the ceiling
and hitting the shuttlecock into or under the net.
STRIKES
Players may not hit the shuttlecock twice in a row. Players may only hit the shuttlecock once per
inning. After the shot, the shuttlecock must go over the net and be returned by the other team for that
player to hit the shuttlecock again.
BADMINTON ETIQUETTE
Badminton etiquette is essential for the sport to be fun and fair. Players should call their own illegal
shots and return the shuttlecock in a gentle manner for the next serve, according to Official
Badminton. Each server should state the score before serving. After the match is over, the opponents
should shake hands.
BADMINTON
SERVE RULES
Badminton became an Olympic sport in 1992. Rules for
badminton, including service of the shuttlecock, are set by the
Badminton World Federation, formerly known as the
International Badminton Federation. The IBF altered its rules
in the mid-2000s to pick up the pace of the game and make it
more attractive for TV audiences, reports BBC Sport.
Formerly, points were only scored on a serve. Now either
team can win a point on a rally. Several other rules apply to
the service in badminton.
PLACEMENT
Server and receiver stand in service courts that are diagonally
opposite. The server's feet need to stay in contact with the
ground until the serve is delivered. The shuttle needs to pass
over the net and land on or within the boundary lines of the
receiver's court, according to BWF rules.
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DELIVERY
The shuttle has to be hit below the server's waist, defined as
the lowest part of her rib. The server has to continue
movement of her racket from the start of service until the
serve is delivered. The server cannot start and stop a forward
movement.
A server cannot deliver the shuttle before the receiver is
ready. If a receiver tries to return the shuttle, rules deem that
he was ready and the serve stands, according to BWF rules.
SINGLES
In singles play, a player serves from the right service courts
when the score is even, including zero. The player serves
from the left service court when he has an odd number of
points scored. If the serve is returned and a rally begins, the
server gains a point if he takes the rally. He serves again from
the alternate service court. If the receiver wins the rally he
gains a point and becomes the new server, according to BWF
rules.
DOUBLES
In doubles play, players also serve from the right service court
for an even score and the left service court for an odd score. If
the server wins the point, she switches sides with her partner
and continues to serve, according to BBC Sport. Alternating
continues until the serve is lost to the other team. When the
team becomes the receiving side, the player remains in the
service court she served from, according to BWF rules.
Introduction to Badminton Shots
If you want to consider yourself a
“complete” badminton player, there are
five basic shots you must know and
master. The serve, clear, drop, drive, and
smash are all essential components to
becoming a great player. In this guide,
you’ll learn the purpose of each shot and
how they fit into the game
The Serve: This is the first shot you should learn, because it is easily the
most important one. The quality of your serve will largely determine how
the rest of the rally plays out. If you hit a poor serve, your opponent can
end the rally immediately with a strong smash or well-placed drop. First
and foremost, your goal is to create an opportunity for yourself, or your
team, to end the rally. If your serve does not accomplish that, it should at
least deny your opponent an opportunity to end the rally.
Following these principles should force you to either aim the serve low
and short or high and deep. Hitting to either of these extremes will make
it difficult for your opponent to hit a quality shot in return. To recap, here
are some of the main characteristics:
The serve is the most important shot in the game.
The serve can dictate how a rally will play out, favorably or unfavorably.
A serve should be aimed low and short or high and deep.
Backhand serve
The Clear: After the serve, the clear is the second most fundamental shot
in badminton. Regardless of your playing style or preferred event, the
clear shot will be an integral part of your game. It’s easy to undervalue a
clear shot, because it isn’t flashy and doesn’t often lead to a point. To
grasp its worth, you need to understand what a clear shot aims to
accomplish. On an elementary level, the variations of a clear shot can
accomplish one of two things:
A deep, high-arching clear can buy you time to recover for the next shot.
A deep, flat clear can put your opponent in a difficult position to return
the shot.
In a sense, a clear can either be a defensive or offensive tactic. When
you’re struggling to get in position to return a shot, a clear can be a great
way to regain your balance and prepare for the next shot. Conversely,
you can also use it when you’re in great position to put your opponent
off-balance and make them work harder. It’s a more subtle offensive
strategy, but stamina plays a bigger and bigger role as the game
progresses.
The Drop
At its most basic level, a drop shot is any shot that lands between the net
and the short service line. A drop can be taken from the baseline or at the
net. In both instances, the drop is pushing the shuttlecock down and
directly forcing your opponent to hit it up. Unfortunately, it does require
more skill than simply placing the shuttlecock there. The landing spot is
equally important as the shuttlecock’s trajectory. One without the other
would immediately make it a poor drop shot. The speed of your shot will
come naturally as you learn to aim the shuttlecock. Here are some tips
for hitting the drop shot:
Aim the drop to land between the net and the short service line.
Have the shuttlecock come off the racket flat to begin its descent.
Deny your opponent an opportunity to score and simultaneously create
one for yourself by having a well-placed drop.
Power does not automatically improve the quality of a drop shot. As
such, any player with the desire and time commitment should be able to
have a devastating drop.
The Drive: A drive is a quick, flat shot that usually has the racket in front
of you at around shoulder-height. It is an attacking shot intended to put
pressure on the opponents by forcing them to react quickly and make a
poor return. The great thing about drives is the range of angles you can
cover just by using the panhandle grip. By using just the panhandle grip
you enable yourself to cover both the forehand and backhand side easily.
It will require some practice, but not having to change grips will save you
valuable time in reacting to return a shot. Some defining qualities of a
drive are:
It’s a fast, flat shot that should pass low over the net.
It relies on the wrist for power.
It’s purely an offensive shot designed to pressure your opponents.
Strike the shuttle when it's about a foot or two in front of your body.
Snap your wrist as the racquet strikes the shuttle. Hit with a vertical racquet
face to drive the shuttle forward on a flat trajectory, just over the top of the net.
The Smash: Just like big serves in tennis or spikes in volleyball, smashes
are the crowd-pleasers in badminton. A smash is an overhand stroke that
draws power from your body rotation, shoulders, and wrist to create an
explosive shot that gets to the floor in a hurry. Although the smash is
fairly easy to learn, it’s definitely one of the harder shots to master. In
order to be effective, a smash must be hit with both power and precision.
A smash that is well-placed but slow will give the opponent enough time
to reach the shuttlecock. To the same effect, a powerful smash that
heads straight for the opponent’s racket doesn’t require any time to
reach the shuttlecock.
At its very core, a smash just wants to go home, and that home is the
floor on your opponent’s side of the court. Here are a few tips to help
achieve that goal:
Position yourself a bit behind the shuttlecock as it falls so you can move
into the shot and use your momentum to generate power.
Contact the shuttlecock at the highest point you possibly can.
Aim the smash away from your opponent.
Keep it as close to the top of the net as possible.
The court is rectangular in shape and divided into two halves by the
net. The two halves are further divided into forecourt and backcourt
areas. The courts are always marked for both singles and double's
games and the net poles are planted outside the double's lines.
The rally is initiated by the serve. A serve is always hit in the
upward direction and its attacking potential is limited by various
restrictions and service laws. A serve can be of different types - high
serve, low serve, drive serve(hit flat towards the back area of the
opponent's court) and flick serve(hit upwards, but low trajectory).
There are many different types of basic badminton shots, which are
played from different areas of the badminton court. From the
forecourt area, the various shots that can be played are 1. Net Shot: dropping the shuttlecock into the opponent's forecourt,
as close to the net as possible.
2. Net Lift: playing upwards towards the back of the opponent's
court.
3. Net Kill: the shuttlecock is aimed steeply towards the floor of the
opponent's court, close to the net.
Badminton shots from the mid court area include the following 1. Smash: when the shuttlecock comes to you at a high level in the
midcourt area, hitting it aggressively towards the opponent's floor, to
finish the rally.
2. Drive: when the shuttlecock is at the net height, at the side of
your body, hitting it with sufficient pace to the opponent's midcourt
or backcourt area.
3. Push: hitting the shuttlecock softly into the opponent's forecourt
or front midcourt area. This shot too is played in the same situation
as a drive.
4. Lift: playing upwards towards the back of the opponent's court, in
response to a smash or a push shot.
Most badminton shots in the back court area are played overhead.
Some shots in this area are 1. Clear: hitting the shuttlecock high to the opponent's backcourt.
Clear shots are of two types - defensive clear and attacking clear.
2. Smash: hitting the shuttlecock steeply towards the opponent's
midcourt, at high speed.
3. Dropshot: hitting the shuttlecock downwards towards the
opponent's forecourt.
Besides these there are various advanced strokes which are more or
less, slight variations on the aforementioned basic strokes. The
purpose of an advanced stroke is to introduce an element of spin
into the shot catching your opponent unawares.
Slicing, hitting the shuttlecock with an angled racquet is a technique
commonly used for advanced strokes. Slice shots veil the direction
in which the shuttle is going to hit and to make the disguise
powerful shots by making them travel slowly.
Double motion is another useful technique to deceive your
opponent. It involves making an initial movement towards the
shuttlecock and then changing the face of the racquet and hitting it
in a different direction.
Badminton Glossary
Descriptions of many terms and expressions used in the sport of
badminton.
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Alley - extension of the court by 1-1/2 feet on both sides for
doubles play
Back Alley- Area between the back boundary line and the long
service line for doubles.
Backcourt- Back third of the court, in the area of the back
boundary lines.
Balk (Feint)- Any deceptive movement that disconcerts an
opponent before or during the service.
Baseline- Back boundary line at each end of the court, parallel
to the net.
Carry- An illegal tactic, also called a sling or a throw, in which
the shuttle is caught and held on the racquet and then slung
during the execution of a stroke.
Center or Base Position- Location in the center of the court to
which a singles player tries to return after each shot.
Center Line- Line perpendicular to the net that separates the
left and right service courts.
Clear- A shot hit deep to the opponents back boundary line.
The high clear is a defensive shot, while the flatter attacking
clear is used offensively.
Court- Area of play, as defined by the outer boundary lines.
Drive- A fast and low shot that makes a horizontal flight over
the net.
Drop- A shot hit softly and with finesse to fall rapidly and close
to the net on the opponent's side.
Fault- A violation of the playing rules, either in serving,
receiving, or during play.
Feint (Balk)- Any deceptive movement that disconcerts an
opponent before or during the service.
Flick- A quick wrist and forearm rotation that surprises an
opponent by changing an apparently soft shot into a faster
passing one; used primarily on the serve and at the net.
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Forecourt- Front third of the court, between the net and the
short service line.
Hairpin Net Shot- Shot made from below and very close to the
net with the shuttle rising, just clearing the net, and then
dropping sharply down the other side. The shuttle's flight
approximates the shape of a hairpin.
Halfcourt Shot- A shot hit low and to midcourt, used
effectively in doubles against the up-and-back formation.
Kill- fast downward shot that cannot be returned; a "putaway".
Let- A legitimate cessation of play to allow a rally to be
replayed.
Long Service Line- In singles, the back boundary line. In
doubles a line 2-1/2 feet inside the back boundary line. The
serve may not go past this line.
Midcourt- The middle third of the court, halfway between the
net and the back boundary line.
Net Shot- Shot hit from the forecourt that just clears the net
and then falls rapidly.
Push Shot- Gentle shot played by pushing the shuttle with
little wrist motion, usually from the net or midcourt to the
opponent's midcourt.
Rally- Exchange of shots while the shuttle is in play.
Serve (Service)- Stroke used to put the shuttlecock into play at
the start of a rally.
Service Court- Area into which the serve must be delivered.
Different for singles and doubles play.
Short Service Line- The line 6-1/2 feet from the net which a
serve must reach to be legal.
Shuttlecock (Shuttle)- Official name for the object that the
players must hit. Composed of 16 goose feathers attached to a
cork base covered with leather. Synthetic shuttles are also used
by some.
Smash- Hard-hit overhead shot that forces the shuttle sharply
downward. Badminton's primary attacking stroke.
Wood Shot- Shot that results when the base of the shuttle is
hit by the frame of the racket. Once illegal, this shot was ruled
acceptable by the International Badminton Federation in 1963.