Basic Rules of Badminton
Basic Rules Of Badminton
The first games of badminton were played by Indian children and were known as Battledore (the racket or stick used) and shuttlecock (the light round object– pierced with feather–being hit by the racket ) The basic rules of badminton and the name didn’t take take place until it was discovered and played at the estate of Duke of Beaufort in 1873 at his Badminton House. And so the old name of battledore and shuttlecock was soon replaced with “badminton.”
How Many People can Play
Badminton can be played with two people (singles) or with four people (doubles). Singles play against each other and doubles are partners playing against another set of partners.
Object of the Game
In addition to the name change came the basic rules of badminton that are used today except for a few minor adjustments. The basic rules of badminton are to hit the shuttlecock or shuttle across the net onto the side of your opponent at which time your opponent will return the gesture. The back and forth activity will continue until the shuttle hits the ground. Depending on whose side the shuttle lands the opposite side gains the point.
Scoring
Badminton scoring today has changed from the beginning days where you only scored if the shuttlecock was missed by your opponent on your serve. You would then earn one point and would win when you reached 15 points. Today’s rules allow you to earn 21 points and gain a point each time the opponent misses the shuttle causing it to hit the ground. The winner wins the best two out of three games.
Court Measurements
In the beginning times of badminton there were no courts or regulations. Today, each game is played on a court which resembles a tennis court and also uses a net, however the net is must taller. You could compare the came to playing on a court that is a combination of a tennis court and a volley ball court with the net’s height being some where in between. Although there are resemblances, badminton has its own rules on the court’s dimensions. The court should be 20 feet wide x 44 feet long. The badminton court is also marked for singles and doubles playing area. The net is five feet high.
Equipment Guidelines
Racket: The racket has a long neck and a smaller stringed face, much smaller than other rackets and lighter weight.
Shuttle: The shuttle is a cone-shaped object that has a round type and a skirt extending from the round tip. This skirt used to be feathers but now is replaced with a plastic or synthetic material.
Only badminton rackets and shuttles can be used to play the game. Because the shuttle is light weight and can be influenced by wind the championship games are more strict about equipment guidelines. It is never recommended to use any other type of racket, besides a badminton racket, to play the game. Likewise the shuttle should be the only object used in play.
Reference
Basics of Badminton: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badminton#Playing_court_dimensions
