Badminton
Handout
Badminton Brief History
The sport of Badminton was invented long ago. This sport was played in ancient Greece
and Egypt. It originated from a children’s game that was called battledore and shuttlecock. The
children would hit the shuttlecock back and forth with rackets. As years passed, the name was
changed to “Poona” and in India the game became more developed. In the 1860’s, the British
army was in India and learned how to play the game. The army brought the game back to
England and it became more popular when it was played at a lawn party in Gloucestershire. The
name was then changed because the game was played at the Badminton House in
Gloucestershire. It was then referred to as “The Game of Badminton.”
Badminton did not arrive in the United States until 1878. New York’s society leaders
started the Badminton Club of New York as a weekend meeting place where they could play
badminton. Once the Badminton Club of New York opened, many YMCA’s, clubs, and
educational institutions began offering lessons in the game of Badminton.
Badminton terms
Baseline - Back boundary line at each end of the court, parallel to the net.
Carry - An illegal tactic, also called a sling or throw, in which the shuttle is caught and held on
the racquet and then slung during the execution of a stroke.
Center Line - Line perpendicular to the net that separates the left and right service courts.
Clear - A shot hit deep to the opponent’s 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.
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.
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.
Kill - Fast, downward shot that cannot be returned; a "put-a-way."
Racquet - Instrument used by player to hit shuttlecock
Rally - Exchange of shots while the shuttle is in play.
Serve or Service - Stroke used to put shuttlecock into play at the start of each rally.
Shuttlecock - Official name for the object that players hit. Also known as "birdie."
Smash - Hard-hit overhead shot that forces the shuttle sharply downward. Badminton’s primary
attacking stroke.
THE OBJECTIVE OF BADMINTON:
To score points by hitting a shuttlecock (birdie) over the net and into the opponent’s court so that
the opponent cannot return it over the net and in bounds.
Badminton Basic Rules
Game Rules:
1. During the game no player shall touch the net with their racket or their body. They may
not reach over or under the net during the game. If this occurs, the other team is awarded
the point.
2. The birdie (shuttlecock) must remain in constant motion. It cannot come to rest on a
player’s racket at any time.
3. During a rally, if the birdie (shuttlecock) touches the net and goes over continue playing.
4. If the birdie (shuttlecock) hits the floor on a boundary line, it is counted as in bounds.
5. There is only one hit permitted per team to get the birdie (shuttlecock) over the net.
Serving Rules:
1. In a real badminton game, the serve is determined by a coin toss. In our P.E. class, the
serve will be determined by Mrs. Dulla.
2. The serve always begins in the right service box.
3. The server must remain in the service box until the birdie (shuttlecock) goes over the net
without touching the net.
4. The server must serve underhand. The racket may not come above the server’s waist
during the serve.
5. The serve must travel diagonally (cross court) to count as a good serve. The serve also
needs to travel to the correct serving box.
6. Only the player in the diagonal service box may return the serve. Their partner cannot
enter into their serving box to return the serve. After the serve is over, either player may
return the birdie and they do not have to remain in their service box.
7. The team who serves first only has one player serve. Once that player loses their serve,
the other team will begin serving in their right service box and both players will have an
opportunity to serve.
8. When the serve returns to the first team, the player in the right service box will begin
serving and both players will have a chance to serve.
9. If the serving team wins the rally, the same person will continue to serve, but will switch
service boxes. You may only switch service boxes with your partner when your team
scores a point while serving.
10. Serving faults (ways to lose your serve):
a. The shuttle is hit in an overhand motion.
b. The server is outside the service court.
c. The server steps on the line during the serve.
d. The shuttle lands in the wrong service box or does not pass the short service
line of the correct service box..
e. The shuttle is above the server's waist when hit.
f. The server swings and misses the birdie on the serve three times (P.E. rule).
Scoring:
1. Rally scoring is used during badminton now. The team who wins the rally will earn a
point.
2. Real badminton games are played to 21 points. The team that wins the best of 3 games to
21 points wins the match. Our P.E. classes will be playing time restricted games. Games
will last 5 minutes and the team who wins will remain on the court (King of the Court).
3. Games can end with a score of 21-20. You do not have to win by 2. Teams only need to
win by one point.
Please refer to the court diagram on the next page.
STUDY THE DIAGRAM! IT WILL BE ON THE TEST!!
Badminton Court Diagram
Baseline
Left
Service
Box
Short Service Line
Net
Sideline
Short Service Line
Left
Service
Box
Right
Service
Box
Baseline
Sideline
Center Service Line
Right
Service
Box