TABLE OF CONTENTS BADMINTON COURT

VOLLEYBALL COURT 1

DEFINITION OF TERMS 1

BADMINTON RULES 4

TECHNIQUES IN PLAYING 6

OVERALL COURT DIMENSIONS

The overall dimensions of a badminton court is 20
feet by 44 feet.

THE NET LINE

The net line marks the middle of the court where
the net is placed, creating a 22 feet by 20 feet area
on each side of the net.

SHORT SERVICE LINE

The short service line is line marked 6 feet 6 inches
(some are marked 7 feet) from the line.
CENTER LINE
The center line is the line that divides the court
from the short service line to the back boundary
line.
SIDE LINE FOR SINGLES PLAY
Is marked 1 ½ feet from the edge of the outer
boundary (doubles side line).
BACK BOUNDARY LINE AND LONG SERVICE
LINE FOR SINGLES
Is the same for singles and doubles play. Play it is
the outermost back line on the court.
This is the most common stroke and most
comfortable using this especially for stronger
strokes.
LONG SERVICE LINE FOR DOUBES
Is marked 2 ½ feet in the side back boundary line.
THE BADMINTON NET
Measures 5 feet tall in the center.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Attacking clear − An offensive player makes this
stroke when he shoots the shuttlecock deep into
the opponent’s court.
Backcourt − Back one thirds of the court before
the boundary lines on either sides of the net.
Backhand − The stroke that returns shuttle cock to
the left of a right-handed player and to the right of
a left-handed player.
Base position − A singles player tries to return to
the center of the court during the play; it is also
called Base position of the player.
Baseline − The line that marks the boundary at the
breadth of court.
Carry − If the shuttle gets stuck for a while in the
wires before getting released, the stroke the player
makes with the racket is called a carry, sling, or
throw and is considered illegal.
Drive − A fast shot when the shuttle flies straight
over the net but close to it.
Drop shot − A clever shot when the player rapidly
drops the shuttle close to the net to the opponent's
court.
Feint − Any pretend shot or movement also called
as "balk" that unsettles an opponent before or
during the serve.
Flick − A quick wrist-and-forearm rotation that
changes the course of a soft shot into a fast one
and surprises the opponent.
Forecourt − The front one thirds of the half court 2.5 feet inside the singles line. The serve should not
on both sides of the net, between the net and the go past this line.
short service line.
Match − A series of games where a winner emerges
Forehand − The stroke that returns a racket to the at the end.
right side of a right-handed player and to the left
Midcourt − One third middle part of court between
side of a left-handed player.
the net and the back boundary line on either sides
Game − A game is finished when a player or team of the net.
scores enough points to win a single contest; it is a
Net shot − A shot hit high from the forecourt close
part of a set.
to the net that just flings the shuttlecock over the
Hairpin net shot − The trajectory of racket is net and drops it sharply.
hairpin shaped when a player lifts it from falling
Passing shot − Any shot passing the shuttlecock to
close to the net and sends it to the other side where
the opposing player or team.
it drops sharply close to the net.
Push shot − A slight wrist movement that gently
Half court shot − A low shot to the midcourt,
shoots the shuttlecock.
usually used in doubles game.
Service court − The area into which a service must
High clear − A deep shot by a defending player to
be delivered; this is different for singles and
the opponent’s court.
doubles.
Kill − The shuttlecock is shot very fast; so that, it
Short service line − The line marked at 1.98
cannot be returned.
meters from the net in service courts where player
Let − A minor violation of the rules when the plays in a singles game.
referee allows players to replay the rally.
Singles sideline − The side boundary of a singles
Long Service Line − In singles it is same as the court.
boundary line at the breadth. In doubles the line is
Smash − A hard-hit overhead shot into the
opponent’s court that pushes the shuttlecock
downwards very fast.
Wood shot − A shot with the frame of a racket.
Short Serve − This kind of serve is mostly used in
Doubles. The shuttle cock barely clears the net and
lands close to the serve line.
Long Serve − This kind of serve is mostly used in
Singles. The shuttlecock reaches far and deep into
the court.
Faults
BADMINTON RULES
Each organization is allowed 1 singles and 1
doubles team. A student may compete in both.
Rules
 A player must wait until his opponent is
ready before serving. If the opponent
attempts a return then he is ruled having
been ready.
 The feet of both players must remain in a
stationary position until the serve is made.
Your feet can not be touching the line at this
time.
 It is not a fault if you miss the shuttle while
serving.
 The shuttle cannot be caught and slung with
the racket.
 A player cannot hold his racket near the net
to ward off a downward stroke by his
opponent or to interfere with his racket.
 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.
Scoring System
o A match consists of the best of 3 games of 21
points.
o Every time there is a serve – there is a point
scored.
o The side winning a rally adds a point to its
score.
o At 20 all, the side which gains a 2 point lead
first, wins that game.
o At 29 all, the side scoring the 30th point,
wins that game.
o The side winning a game serves first in the
next game.
Interval and Change of Ends
o A 1 minute interval between each game is
allowed.
o In the third game, players change ends when
the leading score reaches 11 points.
Singles
o At the beginning of the game (0-0) and when
the server’s score is even, the server serves
from the right service court. When the
server’s score is odd, the server serves from
the left service court.
o If the server wins a rally, the server scores a
point and then serves again from the
alternate service court.
o 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 their score is odd, and right if it is even.
Doubles
o A side has only one ‘set’.
 o The service passes consecutively to the
players as shown in the diagram.
o At the beginning of the game and when the
score is even, the server serves from the right
service court. When it is odd, the server
serves from the left court.
o If the serving side wins a rally, the serving
side scores a point and the same server
serves again from the alternate service court.
o If the receiving side wins a rally, the receiving
side scores a point. The receiving side
becomes the new serving side.
o The players do not change their respective
service courts until they win a point when
their side is serving.
TECHNIQUE IN PLAYING BADMINTON
Strokes
Badminton offers a wide variety of basic strokes,
and players require a high level of skill to perform
all of them effectively. All strokes can be played
either forehand or backhand. A player's forehand
side is the same side as their playing hand: for a
right-handed player, the forehand side is their right
side and the backhand side is their left side.
Forehand strokes are hit with the front of the hand
leading (like hitting with the palm), whereas
backhand strokes are hit with the back of the hand
leading (like hitting with the knuckles). Players
frequently play certain strokes on the forehand side
with a backhand hitting action, and vice versa.
In the forecourt and midcourt, most strokes can be
played equally effectively on either the forehand or
backhand side; but in the rear court, players will
attempt to play as many strokes as possible on
their forehands, often preferring to play a round-
the-head forehand overhead (a forehand "on the
backhand side") rather than attempt a backhand
overhead. Playing a backhand overhead has two
main disadvantages. First, the player must turn
their back to their opponents, restricting their view
of them and the court. Second, backhand
overheads cannot be hit with as much power as
forehands: the hitting action is limited by the
shoulder joint, which permits a much greater range
of movement for a forehand overhead than for a
backhand. The backhand clear is considered by
most players and coaches to be the most difficult
basic stroke in the game, since the precise
technique is needed in order to muster enough
power for the shuttlecock to travel the full length of
the court. For the same reason, backhand smashes shuttlecock has dropped lower, then a smash is
tend to be weak. impossible and a full-length, high clear is difficult.

Position of the shuttlecock and receiving player Vertical position of the shuttlecock

The choice of stroke depends on how near the When the shuttlecock is well below net height,
shuttlecock is to the net, whether it is above net players have no choice but to hit upwards. Lifts,
height, and where an opponent is currently where the shuttlecock is hit upwards to the back of
positioned: players have much better attacking the opponents' court, can be played from all parts
options if they can reach the shuttlecock well above of the court. If a player does not lift, their only
net height, especially if it is also close to the net. In remaining option is to push the shuttlecock softly
the forecourt, a high shuttlecock will be met with a back to the net: in the forecourt, this is called a net
net kill, hitting it steeply downwards and shot; in the midcourt or rear court, it is often called
attempting to win the rally immediately. This is why a push or block.
it is best to drop the shuttlecock just over the net in
When the shuttlecock is near to net height, players
this situation. In the midcourt, a high shuttlecock
can hit drives, which travel flat and rapidly over the
will usually be met with a powerful smash, also
net into the opponents' rear midcourt and rear
hitting downwards and hoping for an outright
court. Pushes may also be hit flatter, placing the
winner or a weak reply. Athletic jump smashes,
shuttlecock into the front midcourt. Drives and
where players jump upwards for a steeper smash
pushes may be played from the midcourt or
angle, are a common and spectacular element of
forecourt, and are most often used in doubles: they
elite men's doubles play. In the rearcourt, players
are an attempt to regain the attack, rather than
strive to hit the shuttlecock while it is still above
choosing to lift the shuttlecock and defend against
them, rather than allowing it to drop lower. This
smashes. After a successful drive or push, the
overhead hitting allows them to play smashes,
opponents will often be forced to lift the
clears (hitting the shuttlecock high and to the back
shuttlecock.
of the opponents' court), and drop shots (hitting the
shuttlecock softly so that it falls sharply
downwards into the opponents' forecourt). If the
Spin Due to the way that its feathers overlap, a
shuttlecock also has a slight natural spin about its
Balls may be spun to alter their bounce (for
axis of rotational symmetry. The spin is in a
example, topspin and backspin in tennis) or
counter-clockwise direction as seen from above
trajectory, and players may slice the ball (strike it
when dropping a shuttlecock. This natural spin
with an angled racquet face) to produce such spin.
affects certain strokes: a tumbling net shot is more
The shuttlecock is not allowed to bounce, but
effective if the slicing action is from right to left,
slicing the shuttlecock does have applications in
rather than from left to right.
badminton. (See Basic strokes for an explanation of
technical terms.)

Slicing the shuttlecock from the side may cause it  

to travel in a different direction from the direction
suggested by the player's racquet or body
movement. This is used to deceive opponents.

Slicing the shuttlecock from the side may cause it

to follow a slightly curved path (as seen from
above), and the deceleration imparted by the spin
causes sliced strokes to slow down more suddenly
towards the end of their flight path. This can be
used to create drop shots and smashes that dip
more steeply after they pass the net.

When playing a net shot, slicing underneath the

shuttlecock may cause it to turn over itself (tumble)
several times as it passes the net. This is called a
spinning net shot or tumbling net shot. The
opponent will be unwilling to address the
shuttlecock until it has corrected its orientation.
BADMINTON
HANDBOOK