BADMINTON 101

Contents

 Introduction  Scoring
 History  Officials
 Playing Area  Skills
 Equipment  Common Terms
 Service and
Play
 Introduction

Badminton is an indoor racquet sport played by

two opposing players or pairs on a playing court
with divided by a net.
Introduction

What distinguishes Badminton

from other racquet sports
like lawn tennis or table
tennis is the use of a
specialized projectile called
shuttlecock; a cork ball fitted
with stabilizing feathers.
 Introduction

The objective of the game is to hit the shuttlecock

over the net and make it land on the opponent’s
court. People play Badminton outdoors on level
grassy areas or streets for leisure while
tournament-level Badminton is played indoors on
specially marked courts.
 Introduction

Badminton’s overall governing

body, The Badminton World
Federation ( est . 1934 ) has
176 member nations. The BWF estimates that
about 200 million people play the game worldwide
and that more than 1,000 players participate in
international competition.
 Introduction

There are five continental governing

bodies under the BWF. Ours is the
Badminton Asia Confederation (est.
1959.) There are 41 member nations
under the BAC including us. Our own
governing body is the Philippine
Badminton Association (Est. 1952.)
 Introduction

Badminton’s growth accelerated

after the game’s debut as a
medal sport during the 1992
Summer Olympic Games in
Barcelona, Spain.
History
History

Badminton traces its

beginnings to a game
played thousands of years
ago in Asia. The modern
form of the sport was
refined in Great Britain and
is now popular in countries
all over the world.
 History: Antiquity

Badminton evolved from a Chinese

game in the 5th century BC called ti
jian zi that involved kicking a
“shuttle”. A later version of the
sport was played in ancient Greece
and India with racquets rather than
with feet which people called
Battledore and Shuttlecock.
History: Antiquity

A similar game called

jeu de volant, appeared
in Europe during the
1600s.
 History: Antiquity

In the 1860s, a game named Poona became

popular in India. This game is much like Battledore
and Shuttlecock but with an added net.

British army officers brought the revised version

of the game back to Britain from India in the late-
19th century.
 History: Establishment

In 1873 the 8th Duke of

Beaufort, Henry Somerset
introduced the game to the
society’s elite when he held a
lawn party at his country
estate, Badminton House,
and that game became the
sport we know as Badminton.
 History: Establishment

Four years later, the Bath Badminton Club was

founded. The version played by its members form
the basis for today’s game.

A revised set of regulations were drawn up by

J.H.E. Hart in 1887 and Bagnel Wild in 1890.
 History: Establishment

Then in 1893, rules based on

those regulations were published
by the Badminton Association of
England. The oldest and most
prestigious Badminton tournament in the world
began in 1899 at the All-England Open Badminton
Championships held in London, England.
 History: Establishment

In 1934, the International

Badminton Federation (IBF)
was formed; with England, Wales,
Ireland, Scotland, Denmark,
Holland, Canada, New Zealand and
France as member nations. India joined as an
affiliate in 1936.
 History: Organization

The first major IBF tournament

was the Thomas Cup (world
men's team championships,
named after Sir George
Thomas who was elected as
the first IBF president) held in
1948. 10 countries participated.
History: Organization

The women’s biannual world team

Badminton championships began in
1956 with 11 countries competing
for the Uber Cup. (Named after 13-
time All-England Open Badminton
Champion, Elizabeth “Betty” Uber)
 History: Organization

The biggest world mixed team

Badminton tournament, The
Sudirman Cup (named after
Badminton Association of Indonesia
founder, Dick Sudirman) was first
held in 1989 with 28 teams
competing.
 History: Organization

All 3 tournaments are held every two years and

have been running since their inauguration. They
are primary destination for professionals who are
looking to climb the world rankings.

In 2006, the IBF changed its name to BWF and

implemented several major rule changes.
 History: The Olympics

Badminton became a demonstration sport in

1972 at the Olympics in Munich, Germany and
again in 1988 at the Olympics in Seoul, South
Korea. Badminton became an Olympic sport in
Barcelona in 1992. Singles and doubles were
played. At the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, a mixed
doubles event was included and this is the only
mixed doubles event in all of the Olympic sports.
 History: The Olympics

Susi Susanti from Indonesia

won the women’s singles in
Barcelona, becoming Indonesia’s
first medallist in the 40 years
Indonesia had competed at the
Olympics. Alan Budi Kusama won
Indonesia’s second gold medal
in the men’s Badminton singles.
 History: The Olympics

The BWF rule book states that an indoor

Badminton court must be rectangular, with white
lines marked on a level wooden floor or on a
special mat that is rolled onto a level playing
surface. A singles court is 44 ft. (13.40 m) long and
17 ft. (5.18 m) wide. For doubles, alleys 1 ft. and 6 in.
(0.46 m) wide along two sides of the court come
into play, making the court 20 ft. (6.10 m) wide
Playing area
 Playing area

Because many shots fly high into the air, there

must be clearance of at least 30 ft (9.14 m) above
the court. A net stretched across the middle of
the court has a top edge set to a height of 5 ft
(1.52 m) at the center and 5 ft 1 in (1.55 m) at the
posts.
Playing area
Playing area
Playing area
Playing area
Playing area
 Equipment

Badminton racquets weigh between 3.5 and 5 oz

(99 and 141 g) and consist of a leather or
terrycloth handle; a long, thin shaft; and a
stringed area called the face. Official rules limit
the total length of a racquet to 26.75 in (67.95
cm).
 Equipment

The head of a racquet measures 11 in (28 cm) in.

length and 8.6 in. (21.8 cm) in width and is strung
with synthetic nylon or gut at between 25 and 35
lbs. (11.3 and 15.9 kg) of tension. Early racquets
were made of wood, but Badminton racquets are
now commonly made of aluminum, boron,
graphite, and titanium.
 Equipment
Badminton racquet manufacturers
make several models of racquets
to appeal to all kinds of players.
Racquets are designed with
different weights, grip sizes, flex
and other variables to appeal to
the skill level, strength and playing
style of individual players.
 Equipment

A good-quality Badminton racquet will range in

weight from 99 to 141 grams. The weight of a
racquet will determine your swing speed. A light-
weight racquet is more manoeuvrable and easier
to swing, but it is not as stable as a heavy
racquet. More momentum can be generated with
a heavier racquet as it will hold its path better
and more power will be transferred to your shot.
 Equipment

Tournament-quality shuttlecocks, weigh 0.2 oz

(5.7 gm) and has 16 goose feathers that protrude
from its ball-shaped cork base. Most shuttles
used by casual players are plastic and have
synthetic feathers. Both types are 2.5 in (6.4 cm)
long. When a shuttlecock is in the air, its
aerodynamics cause it to spin so that players
almost always strike the cork, not the feathers.
 Equipment

Play begins with a serve from a service area on

the right-hand side of the court to a receiver in a
diagonally opposite service area across the net.
To serve, the server stands behind the service
line and strikes the cork base of the shuttle in an
underhand motion.
 Service and Play

The receiver must then return the shuttle before

it hits the ground, and the players hit the shuttle
back and forth until one side fails to return it.
Service and Play
Service and Play
Service and Play
 Service and play

Play ends when the shuttle hits the ground on one

side of the court or when one player makes a
fault, or error, such as hitting the shuttle into the
net or out of bounds.
 Service and play

Specific faults for servers include striking the

feathers of the shuttle first or serving overhand.
The receiver can be faulted for not being within
the service court, for not having both feet on the
floor when receiving, and for moving before the
serve is made.
 Service and play

During play, faults include hitting the shuttle into

the roof or lights, hitting it through the net,
double-hitting or slinging a shot, touching the net,
playing a shot by reaching over the net, and
allowing the shuttle to hit the player’s body.
Unsportsmanlike conduct— such as intentionally
distracting an opponent—will also earn a player a
fault.
 Service and play
1. Points are scored when the opponent fails
to return the shuttle, hits it out of bounds,
or commits fault.

2. Matches are best-of-3 games.

3. The side that first scores 21 points win.

 Scoring: General rules
4. Winning a rally means you score 1 point.

5. If a score becomes 20-20, the side which

scores 2 consecutive points wins the game.

6. If the score becomes 29-29, the side that

scores the 30th point wins the game.
 Scoring: General rules
7. The side winning a game serves first in the
next game.
8. When one side reaches 11 points, both
players get a 60 second break.
9. Both sides get a 2-minute break between
first and second games, and another 2-
minute break between second and third
game.
 Scoring: General rules

Badminton tournaments involve a number of

officials. A referee supervises the tournament
organization while an umpire controls each
match. Aided by a service judge, the umpire keeps
score and rules on faults during play. Up to ten
line judges rule on whether particular shots have
landed in or out of the court.
Officials
 Officials

To succeed in Badminton, players

must utilize hand-eye
coordination, reaction time,
explosive strength, lateral
quickness and a great deal of
cardio-respiratory endurance.
 Strokes: Types

There are six key Badminton strokes: the serve,

drive, net shot, smash, lift (or lob), and clear. To
hit these strokes, players use either a forehand
or a backhand grip, depending on court
positioning.
 Strokes: Types

On the forehand the forefinger acts as a lever and

creates power and direction for the stroke. For
the backhand the thumb creates this power and
direction while placed along the back of the
handle.
Strokes: Types
 Strokes: Pointers

Once play has started, players tend to hit

straight, low-flying shots called drives. When the
shuttle remains close to the center of the court,
net shots can be a good option. Net shots can be
hard-hit or delicate. They are aimed at the front
area of the opponent’s court, forcing the
opponent to play the shot close to the net.
 Strokes: Pointers
If the opponent manages to return a net shot, the
return must be hit high to clear the net. This gives
the player a chance for a smash—the deadliest
attacking stroke in Badminton. A smash is hit to
the floor so forcefully that the opponent has no
chance to return the shuttle before it hits the
ground. The hardest smash has been recorded at
more than 200 mph (320 km/h).
 Strokes: Pointers

Players also use two looping strokes that knock

the shuttle high and deep. The lift, or lob, is an
offensive stroke made from the middle or front of
the court. This shot sends the shuttle in a high arc
above the opponent’s reach, forcing the opponent
to the back of the court.
 Strokes: Pointers

The clear is a similar stroke, but it is used for

defensive purposes when players find themselves
out of position. The high arc gives players time to
return to the middle of the court and to prepare
for another rally.
Strokes: Pointers
Strokes: Pointers
 Common terms
Attacking clear : An offensive stroke hit deep into the opponent's court.
Backcourt : Back third of the court, in the area of the back boundary lines.
Backhand : The stroke used to return balls hit to the left of a right-handed
player and to the right of a left-handed player.
Base position : The location in the centre of the court to which a singles
player tries to return after each shot; also called "centre position".
Baseline : The back boundary line at each end of the court, parallel to the net.
Carry : An illegal stroke in which the shuttle is not hit, but caught and held on
the racquet before being released; also called a "sling" or "throw".
Centre line : A line perpendicular to the net that separates the left and right
service courts.
Clear : A shot hit deep into the opponent's court.
Doubles : A game where a team of two players play against another team of
two.
 Common terms
Doubles sideline : The side boundary of a doubles court.
Drive : A fast and low shot that makes a horizontal flight over the net.
Drop shot : A shot hit softly and with finesse to fall rapidly and close to the net
in the opponent's court.
Fault : A violation of the playing rules.
Feint : Any deceptive movement that disconcerts an opponent before or during
the serve; also called a "balk".
Flick : A quick wrist-and-forearm rotation used to surprise an opponent by
changing an apparently soft shot into a faster passing shot.
Forecourt : The front third of the court, between the net and the short service
line.
Forehand : The stroke used to return a ball hit to the right of a right-handed
player and to the left of a left-handed player.
Game : The part of a set completed when one player or side has scored
enough points to win a single contest.
 Common terms
Hairpin net shot : A shot made from below and very close to the net and
causing the shuttle to rise, just clear the net, then drop sharply down the other
side so that the flight of the shuttlecock resembles the shape of a hairpin.
Half-court shot : A shot hit low and to midcourt, used effectively in doubles
play against the up-and-back formation.
High clear : A defensive shot hit deep into the opponent's court.
Kill : Fast downward shot that cannot be returned.
Let : A minor violation of the rules allowing a rally to be replayed.
Long Service Line : In singles, the back boundary line. In doubles a line 2-
1/2 feet inside the back boundary line. The serve may not go past this line.
Match : A series of games to determine a winner.
Midcourt : The middle third of the court, halfway between the net and the
back boundary line.
Net shot : A shot hit from the forecourt that just clears the net and drops
sharply.
 Common terms
Passing shot : A shot which passes the opposing player or team.
Push shot : A gentle shot played by pushing the shuttlecock with a little wrist
motion.
Rally : The exchange of shots that decides each point.
Serve : The stroke used to put the shuttlecock into play at the start of each
rally; also called a "service".
Service court : The area into which a service must be delivered. Different for
singles and doubles.
Set : To choose to extend a game beyond its normal ending score if the score is
tied with one point to go.
Short service line : The front line of the service courts 1.98 metres from the
net.
Singles : A game where one player plays against another player.
Singles sideline : The side boundary of a singles court.
Smash : A hard-hit overhead shot that forces the shuttle sharply downwards
into the opponent's court.
 Assignment
1. The All England Open Badminton Championships began in 1899 and to this day, continues to be held
every year. However, there were two stretches throughout history were there wasn’t a tournament.
Find out when that was.

2. List the names of the 10 countries who participated in the first ever Thomas Cup.
3. List the names of the 11 countries who participated in the first ever Uber Cup.
4. 3. List the names of the 28 countries who participated in the first ever Sudirman.

5. Write the story behind the 2006 rule changes.

6. What was the S-Serve and why was it banned?