HISTORY OF BADMINTON

BADMINTON

 Badminton is one of the racquet sports requiring players to hit a shuttlecock across a net with a
racket inside a badminton court. Generally, it comes in 2 forms: “Singles”, a 1 vs 1 game and
“Doubles”, a 2 vs 2 games.
 You can play badminton in both indoor or outdoor environments, however, most of the world-
class competitions are held in an indoor area because they want to reduce the influence caused
by external factors such as wind and lights to the minimum level.
ORIGIN
 The origins of the game of badminton date back at least 2,000 years to the game of battledore
and shuttlecock played in ancient Greece, China, and India
HISTORY
A very long history for one of the Olympics newest sports! Badminton took its name from Badminton
House in Gloucestershire, the ancestral home of the Duke of Beaufort, where the sport was played in
the last century. Gloucestershire is now the base for the International Badminton Federation.

 The IBF was formed in 1934 .

 The first big IBF tournament was the Thomas Cup (men’s world team championships) in 1948.
 The Uber Cup (ladies’ team)
 The World Cup invitational event started in 1981 and is organized by the International
Management Group (IMG)
 When the Uber Cup was introduced in 1956, Americans won the first three events.
 The year 1996 was a landmark in USA badminton.
 In December 1995, the IBF introduced a new concept tournament in California, the Hong Ta
Shan Cup, a men’s invitation tournament with the best players and big prize money.

EQUIPMENTS AND FACILITIES

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.
Shuttle Court Layout Shuttle Court Width

 The shuttle court is a rectangular  The shuttle court playing area is 20 feet
playing area. It is marked out by 1 and wide for doubles play. For singles play,
1/2-inch wide lines of chalk or some the sidelines are 17 feet wide.
other marking colored white or yellow.
Service Area
Shuttle Court Length
 The service court is 15 feet, 6 inches in
 The shuttle court is 44 feet long. It is length, beginning at the singles service
bisected by a net 2 feet, 6 inches wide, line and extending forward to another
the top of which is suspended 5 feet line 6 feet, 6 inches from the net.
from the surface of the court at the
centerline.

SKILLS AND FOOTWORK IN BADMINTON

GRIP

Like any racquet game, having a proper grip in badminton is essential. The correct grip will allow you to
have more control and will help you dictate where you place your shot. There are numerous ways of
holding a badminton racket depending on whether your shot is forehand or backhand. For example, you
could use the:

Forehand Grip

 The easiest way to learn the forehand grip is to

pretend you are shaking someone’s hand. Your fingers
should be loosely around the grip, and this is important
for all 4 grips. If you are gripping the racket too tightly,
then it becomes much more difficult to quickly change
between grips when necessary in the middle of a rally. A
tight grip will also limit your ability to generate control
and power in your shots. 

Backhand Grip
 The easiest way to learn the backhand grip is to set up
with your thumb on top of the wider section of the grip, with
your strings facing the floor & ceiling like on the photo below.
Your fingers should be relaxed around the side.  
Bevel Grip
 To learn the bevel grip you can start in a backhand grip and move
your racket head round so that your strings are now facing
diagonally, and your thumb is on the ridge / bevel. You would
move the racket anti-clockwise from your backhand grip if you
are right handed, and clockwise from this position if you are left
handed. 

Panhandle Grip
 The panhandle grip is where you have the thumb on the side of
the racket, pinching the sides with your thumb and fingers in the
position shown below. 

FOOTWORKS

 Move toward the shot with short steps and end with a long stride.
 Most shots are played with the body at right angles to the net.
 In the ready position the racket is held high, the knees are slightly bent, and the body weight is
on the balls of the feet.

Strokes 4. Drop Shot – any shot that drops immediately

1. Clear – a shot used to drive your opponent
away from the net or forecourt or to slow the
game. The bird should fly above the opponent’s
reach and fall within one foot of the baseline.
2. Smash – an attacking shot made at the limit
of one’s upward reach and slightly in front of
the shoulder. At the moment of contact, the
arm and wrist come down forcibly.
3. Drive – A flat shot kept as low as possible
and is second only to the smash as an attacking
shot.
after crossing the net. The descent of the bird is
controlled with little follow-through.
5. Net Shot – any shot played as near to the net
as possible, controlled by wrist and forearm.
The hairpin shot is an example of a net shot.
Serves
1. High and deep (singles) – take a position near
and on the proper side of the center line and
about four feet behind the short service line.
Drop the bird on the racket side and swing the
racket forward.
 2. Low and short (doubles) – take a position 3. Drive (flick) – a quick snap of the wrist in the
closer to the front service line. The racket is backhand grip with the bird held directly in
swung forward with little follow-through. front of the body. The bird travels in a direct
line at the receive

GAME RULES

PLAYERS

1. Singles – one player on a side.

2. Doubles – two players on a side.
3. Mixed Doubles – one male and one female partner opposing a male and female opponent.

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.

Serving Order – Singles

 The first serve of the game and all following serves, when the server’s score is an even number,
are made from the right service court.
 All serves, when the server’s score is an odd number, are made from the left service court.
 When a rally is lost, the receiving player becomes the server and scores a point.

Serving Order – Doubles

 There is only one server in doubles.

 At the beginning of the game and when the score is EVEN, the server serves from the RIGHT
COURT. When the score 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 person serves again
from the alternate court.

FAULT

 The shuttle, at the instant of being hit is higher than the servers waist or the head of the racket
is higher than the servers racket hand.
 The shuttle does not land in the correct service court.
 The server's feet are not in the service court or if the feet of the receiver are not in the court
diagonally opposite the server.
 The server steps forward as he/she serves.
  Any player balking or feinting his opponent before serve or during serve.
 A serve or shot that lands outside the court boundaries, passes under or through the net,
touches any other obstructions or a players body or clothing. The boundary and service lines are
considered in play.
 The shuttle in play is struck before it crosses the net to the striker's side of the net. You may
follow through over the net.
 A player touching the net or its supports with his body or racket while the shuttle is in play.
 Hitting the shuttle twice in succession by a player or team.

TERMINOLOGIES

1. Alley – an extension of the width of the court 4. Bird – the object that flies over the net,
on both sides to be used in doubles play. officially known as a shuttlecock.

2. Backhand – any stroke made on the side of 5. Block – placing the racket in front of the bird
the body opposite the racket side. and letting it rebound into the opponent’s
court.
3. Baseline – back boundary line.

6. Carry – momentarily holding the bird on the
racket during the execution of a stroke.
7. Clear – a high shot that falls close to the
baseline.
8. Double hit – contacting the bird twice in
succession on the same stroke.
9. Doubles – a game of four players, two on
each team.
15. Hairpin (net) stroke – shot made from below
and very close to the net with the bird just
clearing the net and dropping sharply
downward.
16. Hand down – the loss of serve in doubles.
17. Home position – the ideal spot for awaiting
the opponent’s return.
18. Inning – turn of service.

10. Down – loss of the serve given when the 19. Let – a play allowed to be replayed.
serving side fails to score. In doubles, the side
serving first has only one down. 20. Match – best two out of three games.

11. Drive – a hard stroke that just clears the net
on a horizontal plane.
12. Drop – a shot made that barely clears the
net with little speed.
21. Odd and even courts – in singles, the right
half of the court is “even” and the left half of
the court is the “odd.” When the even player is
serving from the right the score is even, and
odd when serving from the left.

13. Fault – any violation of the rules whose
penalty is loss of serve or the point.
14. Forehand – any stroke made on the racket
side of the body.
22. Rally – rapid returns made by players.
23. Ready position – an alert body position
enabling quick movement in any direction.
24. Receiver – the player to whom the bird is
served.
25. Server – the player who puts the bird in
play.
27. Shuttlecock – the feathered/plastic object
that is hit back and forth in badminton.
28. Singles – a game involving one player on
each end of the court.
29. Sling – an untrue hit, usually because of the
bird momentarily resting on the racket.
26. Setting the game – the method of extending
the games by increasing the number of points
necessary to win tied games.
30. Smash – a powerful overhand stroke that
sends the bird downward over the net. 31.
Stroke – the action of striking the bird with the
racket.
32. Toss/spin – the method of deciding which
side will serve first at the beginning of the
match.