BADMINTON BASIC RULES AND REGULATION
Badminton is a tennislike game played with light strong
rackets that are used to strike a shuttlecock (a feather cork
missile) back and forth, before it hits the ground across a high
net within a rectangular court.
The game has an extremely varied repertory of strokes. This
fact derives from the lightness of the rackets, so that the
wrist can be used much more than in most other tennis-type
games; and even more from the peculiarities in the flight of
the shuttlecock, or bird, that, because of its feathers and light
cork base, decelerates quickly being struck. Badminton is not
a good outdoor game because breezes affect the shuttlecock.
All organized tournaments are played indoors.
HISTORY
Most authorities feel that the game developed from the
ancient pastime known as battledore and shuttlecock. The
game was learned in India as ‘poona’. It was brought to
England about 1870 by British army officers stationed in
India. The duke of Beaufort introduced the game at his
country place, Badminton, in Gloucestershire. Not having a
name at that time, the game was referred to as ‘that
Badminton game’. This reference was never changed and
badminton became the accepted title.
The oldest badminton club in the world is the Badminton Club
of the City of New York, which was founded in 1878,
however, the game did not become widely popular in the
United States until the middle 193’s. The US Badminton
Association was formed in 1936. The International Badminton
Federation, the world governing body for the sport, was
founded in 1934.
FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT
Court
For singles – 44 feet long and 17 feet wide
For doubles – 44 feet long and 20 feet wide
Net
Stretched from post to post, 2 feet and 6 inches in
depth, and 5 feet in height from the floor
Posts
5 feet and 1 inch in height from the floor
Racket
It is light and can be made of wood, aluminium metal
or synthetic material such as graphite or carbon. It
can be up to 68 centimeters long and it is usually
weighs about 100grams
Shuttlecock
It is made from 14-16 goose feathers that are placed
in a leather-covered corkhead, made of either plastic
or nylon
4 COMMON STROKES IN BADMINTON
Clear
Clear is also called lob. The shuttle soars in a high arc
and falls into the court behind the opponent
Drop
The shuttle falls gently and just clears the net
Drive
It is a hard stroke hit on a straight line
Smash
It is a hard stroke hit sharply downward
1. Before a match begins, opponents can toss a coin, spin a
racket, or toss a shuttle to determine who shall get the choice
of “serve” or “side”.
2. Men’s singles and doubles games are played in 15 points.
Women’s singles is played to 11 points. In a 15-point game, if
the score becomes tied at 13-13, the player/team scoring 13
points first (the receivers) can elect to continue and finish the
game to 15 points (which is termed “no set”), or they can
elect to play 5 more points (“set”) to finish the game. When
tied at 14-14, the player/team scoring 14 points first can elect
to continue and finish the game to 15 points, or they can
elect to “set” the game at 3 points. In an 11 point game, if the
game is tied at 9-9, the first player scoring 9 points has the
choice of either finishing the game at 11 points (“no set”) or
“setting” the game at 3 points. If the game is tied at 10-10,
the choice would be either to finish the game at 11 points or
to “set” the game at 2 points.
3. The serve must be delivered into the diagonal services
court and within the boundaries to be a legal serve.
4. The server is allowed only one trial to put the shuttle into
play. The shuttle may hit the net and land in the proper court.
In singles, the service is made from the right service court
whenever the server’s score is an even number. Whenever
the server’s score is an odd number, the service is made from
the left service court. In doubles, the first serve is always
started from the right court whenever a team acquires the
service from their opponents. The server will alternate
service courts each time a point is made until the serve is lost.
Only one “hand” is allowed the side beginning the serve in
doubles during the first “inning”. Two hands is allowed each
inning thereafter.
5. Matches consist of winning two out of three games. Player
must change sides of the after each game. The winner of the
previous game starts the serve in the next game. If a third
game is required, players will switch courts again at what is
considered the half-way point immediately after a player
reaches 8 point in a 15 point game or immediately after a
player reaches 6 points in an 11 point game.
6. It is a fault (lost of service “hand out” for the serving side,
or loss of point for the receiving side) when:
a. service is illegal
b. service or played shots lands outside the specified court
c. if the server or receiver is standing outside of the proper
court upon the delivery of the serve
d. the server steps forward, lifts or drags a foot during the
delivery of the serve
e. the server misses the shuttle in attempting to serve
f. a player reaches over the net to contact a shuttle
g. a player reaches over the net with the racket or any part of
the body while the shuttle is deemed to be in play
h. a play contacts the shuttle twice in one swing
i. a player fails to return the shuttle to the opponent’s proper
court
j. in a doubles, a shuttle is hit by a player and the player’s
partner successively
l. a player prevents or hinders an opponent from making a
legal stroke where the shuttle is followed over the net