What is Badminton? Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players per side). Badminton is often played as a casual outdoor activity in a yard or on a beach; formal games are played on a rectangular indoor court. Points are scored by striking the shuttlecock with the racquet and landing it within the opposing side's half of the court. Each side may only strike the shuttlecock once before it passes over the net. Play ends once the shuttlecock has struck the floor or if a fault has been called by the umpire, service judge, or (in their absence) the opposing side. [1] The shuttlecock is a feathered or (in informal matches) plastic projectile which flies differently from the balls used in many other sports. In particular, the feathers create much higher drag, causing the shuttlecock to decelerate more rapidly. Shuttlecocks also have a high top speed compared to the balls in other racquet sports. The flight of the shuttlecock gives the sport its distinctive nature. The game developed in British India from the earlier game of battledore and shuttlecock. European play came to be dominated by Denmark but the game has become very popular in Asia, with recent competitions dominated by China. In 1992, badminton debuted as a Summer Olympic sport with four events: men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, and women's doubles;[2] mixed doubles was added four years later. At high levels of play, the sport demands excellent fitness: players require aerobic stamina, agility, strength, speed, and precision. It is also a technical sport, requiring good motor coordination and the development of sophisticated racquet movements.[3] History Games employing shuttlecocks have been played for centuries across Eurasia,[a] but the modern game of badminton developed in the mid-19th century among the expatriate officers of British India as a variant of the earlier game of battledore and shuttlecock. ("Battledore" was an older term for "racquet".)[4] Its exact origin remains obscure. The name derives from the Duke of Beaufort's Badminton House in Gloucestershire,[5] but why or when remains unclear. As early as 1860, a London toy dealer named Isaac Spratt published a booklet entitled Badminton Battledore – A New Game, but no copy is known to have survived.[6] An 1863 article in The Cornhill Magazine describes badminton as "battledore and shuttlecock played with sides, across a string suspended some five feet from the ground".[7] The game originally developed in India among the British expatriates,[8] where it was very popular by the 1870s.[6] Ball badminton, a form of the game played with a wool ball instead of a shuttlecock, was being played in Thanjavur as early as the 1850s[9] and was at first played interchangeably with badminton by the British, the woollen ball being preferred in windy or wet weather. Early on, the game was also known as Poona or Poonah after the garrison town of Poona,[8][10] where it was particularly popular and where the first rules for the game were drawn up in 1873. [6][7][b] By 1875, officers returning home had started a badminton club in Folkestone. Initially, the sport was played with sides ranging from 1 to 4 players, but it was quickly established that games between two or four competitors worked the best.[4] The shuttlecocks were coated with India rubber and, in outdoor play, sometimes weighted with lead.[4] Although the depth of the net was of no consequence, it was preferred that it should reach the ground.[4] The sport was played under the Pune rules until 1887, when J. H. E. Hart of the Bath Badminton Club drew up revised regulations.[5] In 1890, Hart and Bagnel Wild again revised the rules.[6] The Badminton Association of England (BAE) published these rules in 1893 and officially launched the sport at a house called "Dunbar"[c] in Portsmouth on 13 September.[12] The BAE started the first badminton competition, the All England Open Badminton Championships for gentlemen's doubles, ladies' doubles, and mixed doubles, in 1899.[5] Singles competitions were added in 1900 and an England–Ireland championship match appeared in 1904.[5] England, Scotland, Wales, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, and New Zealand were the founding members of the International Badminton Federation in 1934, now known as the Badminton World Federation. India joined as an affiliate in 1936. The BWF now governs international badminton. Although initiated in England, competitive men's badminton has traditionally been dominated in Europe by Denmark. Worldwide, Asian nations have become dominant in international competition. China, Denmark, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, South Korea, Taiwan (playing as 'Chinese Taipei') and Japan are the nations which have consistently produced worldclass players in the past few decades, with China being the greatest force in men's and women's competition recently. The game has also become a popular backyard sport in the United States. Facilities and Equipment Badminton Court Racket Badminton is popular among youngsters in Asia and parts of Europe. A pacy encounter is simply great fun. But one must be prepared for it. The badminton racket is central to all the thrill. The badminton racquet or racket, which is the official term adopted by the Badminton World Federation (BWF), is a simple to handle, light piece of equipment which forms the basis of the sport. While there are multiple lengths and sizes of the badminton racket for kids, adults, and casual use, professional badminton players have to use rackets of a certain specified length and width. Let’s take a look at the specifications set by the BWF. The badminton racket has five major parts to it – the stringed area, the head, the throat, the shaft, and the handle. The racket in its entirety is called a frame. The frame can have a maximum length of 680mm while the overall width is restricted to 230mm. Stringed area This is quite self-explanatory – the stringed area is the netted part of the badminton racket with which the player intends to hit the shuttlecock. The BWF rules stipulate that the stringed area should be flat, and the pattern of cross strings should be alternatively interlaced where they cross with each other. The string pattern is advised to be uniform in nature and not dense – more amount of string means lesser string tension - at any part of the stringed area. The overall length of the string should not exceed 280mm while the overall width needs to be maintained within 220mm. The head The area which bounds the stringed area is called ‘the head’ of the badminton racket. Now, the shape of the head is generally oval – which is used by professional players who usually prefer more power on their shots. However, there is also another shape called the ‘isometric head’ – which means that the racket is broader at the top. The wider nature means that there is a bigger ‘sweet spot’ – the part of the racket which meets the shuttle best allowing players more chances of hitting the shuttle better. However, this is generally used by amateur badminton players and not by pros. The throat This is the part of the racket which supports the head by providing a steady base and connects the head to the shaft. This is an optional part, as some badminton rackets directly connect the head to the shaft. In rackets that have no throat, the stringed area can be extended. However, the extended limit can have a maximum width of 35mm while it should simultaneously ensure that the overall length of the stringed area does not exceed 330mm. Shuttlecock A shuttlecock (often abbreviated to shuttle; also called a birdie) is a high-drag projectile, with an open conical shape: the cone is formed from sixteen overlapping feathers embedded into a rounded cork base. The cork is covered with thin leather or synthetic material. Synthetic shuttles are often used by recreational players to reduce their costs as feathered shuttles break easily. These nylon shuttles may be constructed with either natural cork or synthetic foam base and a plastic skirt. The Badminton Net is the central gameplay element in a game of Badminton, requiring players to return the shuttlecock from one side of the court to the other during the match. Made taut by the use of weighted tension poles on the outside edges of the badminton court, the badminton net is allowed to sag slightly in the center of the span. Unlike other sport nets that require the poles to be installed permanently, badminton nets are often mobile and can be moved and setup quickly when ready for play. Variations of badminton nets come in polyethylene, nylon, and vinyl. Badminton Nets span the entire 20’ (6.1 m) width of the court and are placed over the doubles sidelines, even when singles games are played. The net has a height of 5’1” (1.55 m) at the edges and sags slightly at the center resulting in a height of 5’ (1.52 m). Badminton nets are split into a 1:1 ratio with a 30’ (76 cm) opening below the mesh and an equal surface above. Badminton Terminologies Backcourt - The back third of the badminton court. Bird/Birdie - Another name for the shuttlecock. Carry- An illegal stroke occurring when the shuttle comes to a stop on the racquet and is "carried," leading to a sling-like sequence. Center position - Also known as the base position, the central area of the court where ideally a singles player wants to return after each shot. Clear - A shot hit deep in the back of the opponent's court. Cross-court - A shot hit diagonally over the net, from one side to the other. Double hit - Hitting the shuttle twice (a fault). Drop shot - A soft shot played with touch, so the shuttle falls close to the net on the opponent's side. Drive - A powerful shot placed just over the top of the net. Fault - A violation or infraction of the rules. Flick - A quick movement of the wrist and forearm that changes a soft shot into a harder one; mostly used when serving or close to the net. Forecourt - The front third of the court, between the net and the short-service line. Kill - A hard, downward shot that is not returnable by the opponent. Let - A call by the umpire to restart a point. This occurs when the server serves before the receiver is ready, the shuttle disintegrates during play, an accidental distraction occurs, etc. Mid-court - The middle third of the court. Push shot - A soft shot executed by "pushing" the shuttle with small wrist movement Rally - An exchange of shots following the serve Shuttlecock - The object used in badminton, also called a birdie or shuttle. It is made of a cork with sixteen goose feathers glued to its rounded base. Smash - A hard, powerful overhead shot sending the shuttlecock downward to the opponent's side. Basic Skills KEY SKILLS EVERY BEGINNER MUST KNOW & PRACTICE IN BADMINTON The Ready Stance If every time you will have the right stance while playing Badminton then you can easily minimize the movements required to hit the shuttle. To be in the ready stance you need to move your non-racket leg forward while having a shoulder-width gap in between racket and non-racket leg. Also, bend your knees a little bit and put your body balance on both legs equally. Besides, to improve the balance while playing keep both your racket and non-racket hand slightly upwards and don’t forget to keep your back straight. Doing this you would easily hit more amazing shots with fewer moments. Backhand and Forehand Grip Apart from stance, maintaining the grip on the racket is also essential. With an accurate grip, any player can hit the shuttle more effectively as well as protect themselves from any wrist injuries because of the wrong grip. Simplest and easiest way to hold the racket is by pretending a handshake. That means you should press your thumb on the handle and wrap the racket with the rest of your fingers and hand. Keep in mind, that the handshake that would be pretending to do should be a friendly one and should not be a tight grip type. Also, make sure that you have a comfortable grip on the racket so there is less to no chance of racket’s slipping. Strokes To develop a good Badminton Stroke habit is important to learn the basic 4 strokes that can be slightly moderated and used for drives, smashes or drops at the time they become an advanced level player. These four strokes are Overhead Forehand, Overhead Backhand, Underarm Backhand & Underarm Forehand. Among which some are easy to understand and practice while others would take more time to be an expert in. Footwork One of the most vital yet neglected parts of the Badminton Training is Footwork. The reason that it’s that essential to learn is the right footwork can give you an upper hand on the opponent as it will make the game easier so that you can cover more areas of the court, change directions swiftly and reduce the chances of knee injuries or sprains. With the right footwork, you will get efficient in recovering from the hit of the shuttle from anywhere around the court and move towards the other side. With the help of our experts, you will learn how to improve your footwork and moment in order to be the best. Underarm Backhand Serve The most basic service that you need to learn while playing badminton is the Underarm Backhand Serve. With this serve, you will have enhanced support and control in deciding the power that is required while serving the shuttle, the direction it should move towards and it’s height as well. If you will learn this serving, then you can easily decide from which direction you should hit the shuttle based upon your opponent. You can practice using the Underarm Backhand Serve to check the speed of your hit and at what direction it goes from which direction. BASIC RULES These were some of the basic skills that you as a beginner should definitely learn and practice. And for the guidance of experts join our badminton training programs and learn all the basic to advanced skills to play badminton whether you are an intermediate, beginner or advanced level player. Court Badminton court, isometric view The court is rectangular and divided into halves by a net. Courts are usually marked for both singles and doubles play, although badminton rules permit a court to be marked for singles only.[13] The doubles court is wider than the singles court, but both are of the same length. The exception, which often causes confusion to newer players, is that the doubles court has a shorter serve-length dimension. The full width of the court is 6.1 metres (20 feet), and in singles this width is reduced to 5.18 metres (17.0 feet). The full length of the court is 13.4 metres (44 feet). The service courts are marked by a centre line dividing the width of the court, by a short service line at a distance of 1.98 metres (6 feet 6 inches) from the net, and by the outer side and back boundaries. In doubles, the service court is also marked by a long service line, which is 0.76 metres (2 feet 6 inches) from the back boundary. The net is 1.55 metres (5 feet 1 inch) high at the edges and 1.524 metres (5.00 feet) high in the centre. The net posts are placed over the doubles sidelines, even when singles is played. The minimum height for the ceiling above the court is not mentioned in the Laws of Badminton. Nonetheless, a badminton court will not be suitable if the ceiling is likely to be hit on a high serve. Serving The legal bounds of a badminton court during various stages of a rally for singles and doubles games When the server serves, the shuttlecock must pass over the short service line on the opponents' court or it will count as a fault. The server and receiver must remain within their service courts, without touching the boundary lines, until the server strikes the shuttlecock. The other two players may stand wherever they wish, so long as they do not block the vision of the server or receiver. At the start of the rally, the server and receiver stand in diagonally opposite service courts (see court dimensions). The server hits the shuttlecock so that it would land in the receiver's service court. This is similar to tennis, except that in a badminton serve the whole shuttle must be below 1.15 metres from the surface of the court at the instant of being hit by the server's racket, the shuttlecock is not allowed to bounce and in badminton, the players stand inside their service courts, unlike tennis. When the serving side loses a rally, the server immediately passes to their opponent(s) (this differs from the old system where sometimes the serve passes to the doubles partner for what is known as a "second serve"). In singles, the server stands in their right service court when their score is even, and in their left service court when their score is odd. In doubles, if the serving side wins a rally, the same player continues to serve, but he/she changes service courts so that she/he serves to a different opponent each time. If the opponents win the rally and their new score is even, the player in the right service court serves; if odd, the player in the left service court serves. The players' service courts are determined by their positions at the start of the previous rally, not by where they were standing at the end of the rally. A consequence of this system is that each time a side regains the service, the server will be the player who did not serve last time. Scoring Main article: Scoring system development of badminton Each game is played to 21 points, with players scoring a point whenever they win a rally regardless of whether they served[13] (this differs from the old system where players could only win a point on their serve and each game was played to 15 points). A match is the best of three games. If the score ties at 20–20, then the game continues until one side gains a two-point lead (such as 24–22), except when there is a tie at 29–29, in which the game goes to a golden point of 30. Whoever scores this point wins the game. At the start of a match, the shuttlecock is cast and the side towards which the shuttlecock is pointing serves first. Alternatively, a coin may be tossed, with the winners choosing whether to serve or receive first, or choosing which end of the court to occupy first, and their opponents making the leftover the remaining choice. In subsequent games, the winners of the previous game serve first. Matches are best out of three: a player or pair must win two games (of 21 points each) to win the match. For the first rally of any doubles game, the serving pair may decide who serves and the receiving pair may decide who receives. The players change ends at the start of the second game; if the match reaches a third game, they change ends both at the start of the game and when the leading player's or pair's score reaches 11 points. Lets If a let is called, the rally is stopped and replayed with no change to the score. Lets may occur because of some unexpected disturbance such as a shuttlecock landing on a court (having been hit there by players playing in adjacent court) or in small halls the shuttle may touch an overhead rail which can be classed as a let. If the receiver is not ready when the service is delivered, a let shall be called; yet, if the receiver attempts to return the shuttlecock, the receiver shall be judged to have been ready.
