PATHFIT 22 LECTURE NOTES

History

Origin of Badminton
Badminton could be traced back to more than 2000 years ago to the ancient game called
battledore (bat or paddle) and shuttlecock (also called “bird” or “birdie”), similar games were played for
centuries across Eurasia countries such as Greece, Egypt, China, India, and Japan.

From the 1600s, battledore and shuttlecock was just a game involving 2 persons hitting a
shuttlecock towards each other as many times as possible before it hit the ground and it used to be an
upper-class game in Europe, including England.

According to “A Brief History of Badminton from 1870 to 1949” written by Betty Uber, modern
badminton was created by British military officers by around 1850s in British India, at that time, a net
was added to the game and because it was very popular in the garrison town of Poona, the game was
known as Poona.

During that period, when the weather is windy and wet, instead of a shuttlecock, a woolen ball
was preferred by the upper class and hence invented “Ball badminton”.

By around 1870s, Retired British army officers brought the game back to England from India and
it became a very popular sport. In 1873 the Duke of Beaufort introduced the sport at his country estate,
“Badminton House” in Gloucestershire, since then this sport was called Badminton.

On 13 September 1893, the Badminton Association of England published the first set of rules
similar to the modern rules that were published in a house called “Dunbar” at Six Waverley Grove,
Portsmouth, England. It becomes an official Olympic Sport at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Nature of the Game

Badminton is played as a singles or doubles game with one or two players on a side. The object
of the game is to hit the shuttlecock or “bird” back and forth with a racket across a net five feet high at its
center. The bird should be hit with such speed and accuracy that the opponent is unable to return the shot
successfully. The game can either be fast or slow paced, depending on the skill level of the players.

Facilities and Equipment

Rackets — Rackets are used to hit the bird. It is

shaped like a tennis racket and has strings, but weighs much
less. Most rackets are made from light man-made materials
such as aluminum or graphite, and are strung with synthetic
material such as nylon. The frame of the racket, including the
handle, is not to exceed 680 mm (26.75 inches) in overall
length, and 230 mm (9 inches) in overall width. The overall
length of the head is not to exceed 290 mm.

Shuttle, Shuttlecock, Bird, Birdie —

whatever it is called, it is badminton's version of a
tennis ball. It has a small ball at the front to give it
speed, and feathers protruding from it to help it float when it is hit high into the air. An official
shuttlecock must have 14-16 feathers and are usually made from a goose or duck and from the left wing
of the bird only.

Types of Shuttlecock
A feather shuttlecock, as the name suggests, is made of feathers. It is made up of 16 feathers
embedded in a cork base, and it has a diameter of about 4.5 cm. The cork is generally round and made of
light wood, like balsa. It is the most expensive and is used in tournaments.
Plastic shuttlecocks were introduced in the 1970s as a cheaper alternative to feather shuttlecocks,
and they soon gained huge popularity in the world of badminton. It is less expensive and is used in
practice as well as in beginner games.

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 Courts are the

rectangular surfaces used for the
racket sport of badminton. divided
in half by a center badminton net,
courts are usually marked for both
singles or doubles games with
boundary widths varying between
the two match types. Badminton
courts should be surfaced with safe
flooring materials for gameplay, that
include wood, synthetic, and rubber
flooring options.

Badminton Courts have a length of 44’ (13.4 m), but double courts are 20’ (6.1 m) wide while
single courts are reduced to 17’ (5.18 m); shrinking by 1.5’ (.46 m) on both sides. Service courts are split
by a center line dividing the width of the court and are set back from the net by a ‘short service line’ of
6.5’ (1.98 m). Doubles games also require a ‘long service line’ that is placed 2.5’ (.76 m) in from the back
boundary. Clearances of 2’ (.61 m) should be providing around the entire badminton court.

Basic terminologies in Badminton

1. Backhand – any stroke made on the side of the body opposite the racket side.
 2. Baseline – back boundary line.
3. Bird – the object that flies over the net, officially known as a shuttlecock.
4. Block – placing the racket in front of the bird and letting it rebound into the opponent’s court.
5. Carry – momentarily holding the bird on the racket during the execution of a stroke.
6. Clear – a high shot that falls close to the baseline.
7. Double hit – contacting the bird twice in succession on the same stroke.
8. Doubles – a game of four players, two on each team.
9. Drive – a hard stroke that just clears the net on a horizontal plane.
10. Drop – a shot made that barely clears the net with little speed.
11. Fault – any violation of the rules whose penalty is loss of serve or the point.
12. Forehand – any stroke made on the racket side of the body.
13. Let – a play allowed to be replayed.
14. Match – best two out of three games.
15. 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.
16. Rally – rapid returns made by players.
17. Ready position – an alert body position enabling quick movement in any direction.
18. Receiver – the player to whom the bird is served.
19. Server – the player who puts the bird in play.
20. Shuttlecock – the feathered/plastic object that is hit back and forth in badminton.
21. Singles – a game involving one player on each end of the court.
22. Sling – an untrue hit, usually because of the bird momentarily resting on the racket.
23. Smash – a powerful overhand stroke that sends the bird downward over the net.
24. Stroke – the action of striking the bird with the racket.
25. Toss/spin – the method of deciding which side will serve first at the beginning of the match.

Different Strokes in Badminton

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.
4. Drop Shot – any shot that drops immediately 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.

General Rules

1. Serving
a.
The server must keep both feet in contact with the floor at the time of the serve.
b.
The bird must be contacted below the waist.
The racket head must be below the server’s wrist.
c.
d.
The server should not serve until the receiver is ready; the opponent is deemed ready if a
return is attempted.
e. Partners of the server and receiver may stand anywhere on the court providing they do
not obstruct the opponent’s view.
f. A bird that touches the net on the serve and goes into the proper service court is legal. g.
If the server misses the bird on the serve attempt, it still counts. In singles and doubles the
serve would go to the opponent.
2. Serving Order – Singles
 a. At the beginning of the game (0-0) and when the server’s score is even, the serve will
begin from the right service court. When the server’s score is odd, the serve will be from
the left service court.
b. If the server wins a rally, the server scores a point and will then serve again from the
alternate service court.
c. 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 the score is odd and right if it is even.
3. Serving Order - Doubles
a. A team will only have one player serve, per “service”.
b. At the beginning of the game and when the score is even (0,2,4,6, etc.) the server serves
from the right service court. When it is odd (1,3,5,7, etc.) the server serves from the left
service court.
c. If the serving side wins a rally, the serving side scores a point and the same server serves
again from the alternate service court.
d. If the receiving side wins a rally, the receiving side scores a point. The receiving side
becomes the new serving side.
e. The players do not change their respective service courts until they win a point when
their side is serving.
4. The winners of the first game serve first in the next game.
5. Birds falling on the lines are considered good.
6. During a rally, a bird that touches the net and goes over is in play.

7. A fault (violation of rules) occurs if:

a. On the service, any part of the racket head is higher than the server’s wrist and contact is
made above the waist.
b. The service fails to cross the net or go into the proper service court.
c. The feet of the server and receiver are not in the proper courts at time of service.
d. The server hesitates or stops (feint/balk) the service motion or misses the bird.
e. The improper receiver returns the bird on the serve.
f. A bird hit into the net, under the net, against the wall or ceiling is out-of-bounds.
g. A player hits the bird before it crosses the net.
h. The bird touches a player or clothing.
i. The player touches the net while the bird is in play.
j. The bird is hit twice in succession by one/both partners.
k. The bird is held, caught, or carried on the racket when struck.
l. A player obstructs an opponent.
8. Let (a play allowed to be replayed)
a. The bird becomes caught in or on the net after passing over the net.
b. The bird hits the basketball supports or net.
c. The following situations occur before the next serve and if the offending side wins the
rally:
1. The correct server serves from the wrong court.
2. The wrong server serves from either the correct/incorrect service court.
3. The correct receiver receives in the wrong court.