History

Badminton is derived directly from Poona, which was

played by British army officers stationed in India in the
1860s.
• The game is named for Badminton, the country estate of the Dukes of Beaufort
in Gloucestershire, England, where it was first played in about 1873.
• The first unofficial all-England badminton championships for men were held in
1899, and the first badminton tournament for women was arranged the next year.
• The Badminton World Federation (BWF; originally the International Badminton
Federation), the world governing body of the sport, was formed in 1934.
• The BWF’s first world championships were held in 1977.
• Badminton first appeared in the Olympic Games as a demonstration sport in
1972 and as an exhibition sport in 1988. At the 1992 Games, it became a full-
medal Olympic sport, with competition for men’s and women’s singles (one
against one) and doubles (two against two). Mixed doubles was introduced at the
1996 Games.
FacilITIES AND
EQUIPMENT
 Badminton Court
• As per the guidelines laid down by the Badminton World Federation (BWF), the
length of a standard badminton court remains the same - 13.40m (44 feet) - for
both types of competitions.
• But the width differs with the singles court running wide till 5.18m (17 feet),
denoted by the sidelines, while for the doubles court, the width is extended to
6.1m (20 feet), marked as the doubles sidelines. The full court measures
14.723m diagonally.
 Net
• The badminton net is a mesh of dark-colored cord and is held in position by
posts placed on the outer sideline (doubles sideline).
• The net is 5 feet, 1 inch tall at the posts, and 5 feet tall at the center of the court;
it should measure at least 20 feet wide. The top of the net is edged with
approximately 3 inches of white tape doubled over a cable.

Shuttlecock
• The shuttlecock, also known as birdie or shuttle, is made of a cork-rounded base.
Sixteen goose feathers are glued in the base, forming a cone shape.
• Shuttles vary in length from 2.5 inches to 2.7 inches and weigh less than a
quarter of an ounce. In an Olympic caliber match, it is not unusual for several
shuttlecocks to break.
 Racket
• Badminton rackets were originally made out of wood. With the use of composite
materials, such as aluminum, graphite or titanium, today's rackets are rigid and
have a lightweight frame.
• Rackets usually weigh between 85 and 100 grams (less than a quarter of a
pound). The strings on the racket, made of synthetic threads, must be flat and
form a uniform pattern. The entire stringed area can't be larger than 280
millimeters in length and 220 millimeters in width.
Simplified rules
(BWF)