CONTENT

 1Introduction
 1History and development
 2 Laws of the game
o 2.1 Playing court dimensions
o 2.2 Equipment laws
o 2.3 Scoring system and service
 2.3.1 The basics
 2.3.2 Details
 2.3.3 Faults
 2.3.4 Lets
 3 Equipment
o 3.1 Racquets
o 3.2 Strings
o 3.3 Grip
o 3.4 Shuttlecock
o 3.5 Shoes
 4 Strokes
o 4.1 Forehand and backhand
o 4.2 Position of the shuttlecock and receiving player
o 4.3 Vertical position of the shuttlecock
o 4.4 Other factors
o 4.5 Deceptions
 5 Strategy
o 5.1 Doubles
o 5.2 Singles
o 5.3 Mixed doubles
 6 Governing bodies
 7 Competitions
 8 Records
Introduction
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players (singles) or two
opposing pairs (doubles), who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court
that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet
so that it passes over the net and lands in their opponents' half of the court. A rally ends
once the shuttlecock has struck the ground, and each side may only strike the
shuttlecock once before it passes over the net.

The shuttlecock (or shuttle) is a feathered projectile whose unique aerodynamic

properties cause it to fly differently from the balls used in most racquet sports; in
particular, the feathers create much higher drag, causing the shuttlecock to decelerate
more rapidly than a ball. Shuttlecocks have a much higher top speed, when compared
to other racquet sports. Because shuttlecock flight is affected by wind, competitive
badminton is best played indoors. Badminton is also played outdoors as a casual
recreational activity, often as a garden or beach game.

Since 1992, badminton has been an Olympic sport with five events: men's and women's
singles, men's and women's doubles, and mixed doubles, in which each pair is a man
and a woman. At high levels of play, the sport demands excellent fitness: players
require aerobic stamina, agility, strength, speed and precision. It is also a technical
sport, requiring good motor coordination and the development of sophisticated racquet
movements.
History and development of Badminton

According to Jean-Yves Guillain, the author of Badminton, an Illustrated History,

the first traces of a game involving the use of a shuttlecock can be found in Asia, and
specifically in China. It supposedly has its origins in T’su-chü, a Football game created
2,500 years BCE at the time of the legendary Huang-Di in order to improve the skills of
soldiers fighting Chi-You, the leader of the Miao people. In Japan, the related game
Hanetsuki was played as early as the 16th century. In the west, badminton came from a
game called battledore and shuttlecock, in which two or more players keep a feathered
shuttlecock in the air with small racquets.

The modern form of Badminton however can be traced to India, where British
military officers stationed there in the late 19th century became interested in a similar
local game which was known to them as Poona (derived from Pune, an Indian garrison
town). This game was taken back to England where the rules of badminton were set
out. Another early version of the game was recorded in the 1850s in the southern Indian
city of Tanjore, called pooppanthu vilayattam (Tamil for flower-ball game) in which balls
made of wool and cardboard were used in the place of the modern-day shuttlecock.

Isaac Spratt, a London toy dealer, published a booklet, Badminton Battledore - a

new game in 1860, but unfortunately no copy has survived.

The new sport was definitively launched in 1873 at the Badminton House,
Gloucestershire, owned by the Duke of Beaufort. During that time, the game was
referred to as "The Game of Badminton," and the game's official name became
Badminton.
 Until 1887, the sport was played in England under the rules that prevailed in
India. The Bath Badminton Club standardized the rules and made the game applicable
to English ideas. The basic regulations were drawn up in 1887. In 1893, the Badminton
Association of England published the first set of rules according to these regulations,
similar to today's rules, and officially launched badminton in a house called "Dunbar" at
6 Waverley Grove, Portsmouth, England on September 13 of that year. They also
started the All England Open Badminton Championships, the first badminton
competition in the world, in 1899.

The International Badminton Federation (IBF) (now known as Badminton World

Federation) was established in 1934 with Canada, Denmark, England, France, the
Netherlands, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, and Wales as its founding members.
India joined as an affiliate in 1936. The BWF now governs international badminton and
develops the sport globally.

While set-out in England, competitive badminton in Europe has traditionally been

dominated by Denmark. Indonesia, South Korea and Malaysia are among the nations
that have consistently produced world-class players in the past few decades and
dominated competitions on the international level, with China being the most dominant
in recent years.
LAWS OF THE GAME
i. Badminton Court Dimensions

The court is rectangular and divided into halves by a net. Courts are usually marked for
both singles and doubles play, although the laws permit a court to be marked for singles
only. The doubles court is wider than the singles court, but both are the same length.
The exception, which often causes confusion to newer players, is that the doubles court
has a shorter serve-length dimension.

The full width of the court is 6.1 metres (20 ft), and in singles this width is reduced to
5.18 metres (17 ft). The full length of the court is 13.4 metres (44 ft). The service courts
are marked by a centre line dividing the width of the court, by a short service line at a
distance of 1.98 metres (6.5 ft) from the net, and by the outer side and back boundaries.
In doubles, the service court is also marked by a long service line, which is 0.78 metres
(2 ft 6 inch) from the back boundary.

The net is 1.55 metres (5 ft 1 inch) high at the edges and 1.524 metres (5 ft) high in the
centre. The net posts are placed over the doubles sidelines, even when singles is
played.

There is no mention in the Laws of Badminton of a minimum height for the ceiling above
the court. Nonetheless, a badminton court will not be suitable if the ceiling is likely to be
hit on a high serve.
ii. The Posts and The Net
 The Posts

The posts shall be 1.55 metres (5 feet 1 inch)

in height from the surface of the court. They
shall be sufficiently firm to keep the net
strained as provided in Law 3,and shall be
placed on the side boundary lines of the
court. Where this is not practicable, some
method must be employed for indicating the
position of the side boundary line where it
passes under the net, e.g., by use of a thin
post or strips of material, not less than 40mm
(1 1/2 inches) in width, fixed to the side
boundary line and rising vertically to the net
cord. Where this is in use on a court marked
for doubles it shall be placed on the side
boundary line of the doubles court
irrespective of whether singles or doubles are
being played.

The Net

The net shall be made of fine natural cord of

artificial fibre of a dark colour and even
thickness and not less than 15mm (5/8 inch)
and not more than 20mm (3/4 inch) mesh. It
shall be firmly stretched from post to post,
and shall be 760mm (2 feet 6 inches) in
depth. The top of the net shall be 1.524
metres (5 feet) in height from the floor at the
centre, and 1.55 metres (5 feet 1 inch) at the
posts, and shall be edged with a 75mm (3
inches) white tape doubled and supported by
a cord or cable run through the tape and
strained over and flush with the top of the
posts.

iii. Equipment laws

The Laws specify which equipment may be used. In particular, the Laws restrict the
design and size of racquets and shuttlecocks. The Laws also provide for testing a
shuttlecock for the correct speed:

3.1 
To test a shuttlecock, use a full underhand stroke which makes contact
with the shuttlecock over the back boundary line. The shuttlecock shall be
hit at an upward angle and in a direction parallel to the side lines.
3.2 
A shuttlecock of the correct speed will land not less than 530 mm and not
more than 990 mm short of the other back boundary line.
 iv. Scoring System And Service

 The Basics Of Games

Each game is played with 21 points, with players scoring a point whenever they win a
rally (this differs from the old system, where players could only win a point on their
serve). A match is the best of three games.

At the start of the rally, the server and receiver stand in diagonally opposite service
courts (see court dimensions). The server hits the shuttlecock so that it would land in
the receiver's service court. This is similar to tennis, except that a badminton serve must
be hit below waist height and with the racquet shaft pointing downwards, the shuttlecock
is not allowed to bounce and in badminton, the players stand inside their service courts
unlike tennis.

When the serving side loses a rally, the serve passes to their opponent(s) (unlike the
old system, there is no "second serve" in doubles).

In singles, the server stands in his right service court when his score is even, and in his
left service court when his score is odd.

In doubles, if the serving side wins a rally, the same player continues to serve, but he
changes service courts so that he serves to each opponent in turn. If the opponents win
the rally and their new score is even, the player in the right service court serves. The
players' service courts are determined by their positions at the start of the previous rally,
not by where they were standing at the end of the rally. A consequence of this system is
that, each time a side regains the service, the server will be the player who did not
serve last time.
 Details

When the server serves, the shuttlecock must pass over the short service line on the
opponents' court or it will count as a fault.

If the score reaches 20-all, then the game continues until one side gains a two point
lead (such as 24-22), up to a maximum of 30 points (30-29 is a winning score).

At the start of a match, a coin is tossed. The winners of the coin toss may choose
whether to serve or receive first, or they may choose which end of the court they wish to
occupy. Their opponents make the remaining choice. In less formal settings, the coin
toss is often replaced by hitting a shuttlecock into the air: whichever side the corked end
points will be the side that serves first.

In subsequent games, the winners of the previous game serve first. These can also be
called rubbers. If one team wins a game they play once more and if they win again they
win that match, but if they lose they play one more match to find the winning team. For
the first rally of any doubles game, the serving pair may decide who serves and the
receiving pair may decide who receives. The players change ends at the start of the
second game; if the match reaches a third game, they change ends both at the start of
the game and when the leading pair's score reaches 11 points.

The server and receiver must remain within their service courts, without touching the
boundary lines, until the server strikes the shuttlecock. The other two players may stand
wherever they wish, so long as they do not insight the opposing server or receiver.
 Faults
Players win a rally by striking the shuttlecock over the net and onto the floor within the
boundaries of their opponents' court. Players also win a rally if their opponents commit a
fault. The most common fault in badminton is when the players fail to return the
shuttlecock so that it passes over the net and lands inside their opponents' court, but
there are also other ways that players may be faulted.

Several faults pertain specifically to service. A serving player shall be faulted if the
shuttlecock is above his waist (defined as his lowest rib) at point of contact, or if his
racket's head is not pointing downwards at the moment of impact. This particular law
was modified in 2006: previously, the server's racket had to be pointing downwards to
the extent that the racket head was below the hand holding the racket; and now, any
angle below the horizontal is acceptable.

Neither the server nor the receiver may lift a foot until the server has struck the
shuttlecock. The server must also initially hit the base (cork) of the shuttlecock, although
he may afterwards also hit the feathers as part of the same stroke. This law was
introduced to ban an extremely effective service style known as the S-serve or Sidek
serve, which allowed the server to make the shuttlecock spin chaotically in flight.

Each side may only strike the shuttlecock once before it passes back over the net; but
during a single stroke movement, a player can contact a shuttlecock twice (this happens
in some sliced shots). A player may not, however, hit the shuttlecock once and then hit
it with a new movement, nor may he carry and sling the shuttlecock on his racket.

It is a fault if the shuttlecock hits the ceiling.

 Lets
If a let is called, the rally is stopped and replayed with no change to the score. Lets may
occur due to some unexpected disturbance such as a shuttlecock landing on court
(having been hit there by players on an adjacent court) or in small halls the shuttle may
touch an overhead rail which can be classed as a let.

If the receiver is not ready when the service is delivered, a let shall be called; yet, if the
receiver attempts to return the shuttlecock, he shall be judged to have been ready.
There is no let if the shuttlecock hits the tape (even on service).
THE EQUIPMENT OF
BADMINTON
 Racquets

Badminton racquets are light, with top quality racquets weighing between 79 and 91
grams including the strings. They are composed of many different materials ranging
from carbon fibre composite (graphite reinforced plastic) to solid steel, which may be
augmented by a variety of materials. Carbon fibre has an excellent strength to weight
ratio, is stiff, and gives excellent kinetic energy transfer. Before the adoption of carbon
fibre composite, racquets were made of light metals such as aluminium. Earlier still,
racquets were made of wood. Cheap racquets are still often made of metals such as
steel, but wooden racquets are no longer manufactured for the ordinary market, due to
their excessive mass and cost. Nowadays, nanomaterials such as fullerene and carbon
nanotubes are added to rackets giving them greater durabilty.

There is a wide variety of racquet designs, although the Laws limit the racquet size and
shape. Different racquets have playing characteristics that appeal to different players.
The traditional oval head shape is still available, but an isometric head shape is
increasingly common in new racquets.
 Strings

Badminton strings are thin, high performing strings in the range of about 0.65 to
0.73 mm thickness. Thicker strings are more durable, but many players prefer the feel
of thinner strings. String tension is normally in the range of 80 to 130 N (18 to 36 lbf).
Recreational players generally string at lower tensions than professionals, typically
between 18 and 25 lbf (110 N). Professionals string between about 25 and 36 lbf
(160 N).

It is often argued that high string tensions improve control, whereas low string tensions
increase power. The arguments for this generally rely on crude mechanical reasoning,
such as claiming that a lower tension string bed is more bouncy and therefore provides
more power. This is in fact incorrect, for a higher string tension can cause the shuttle to
slide off the racquet and hence make it harder to hit a shot accurately. An alternative
view suggests that the optimum tension for power depends on the player: the faster and
more accurately a player can swing their racquet, the higher the tension for maximum
power. Neither view has been subjected to a rigorous mechanical analysis, nor is there
clear evidence in favour of one or the other. The most effective way for a player to find a
good string tension is to experiment.

 Grip
The choice of grip allows a player to increase the thickness of his racquet handle and
choose a comfortable surface to hold. A player may build up the handle with one or
several grips before applying the final layer.

Players may choose between a variety of grip materials. The most common choices are
PU synthetic grips or toweling grips. Grip choice is a matter of personal preference.
Players often find that sweat becomes a problem; in this case, a drying agent may be
applied to the grip or hands, sweatbands may be used, the player may choose another
grip material or change his grip more frequently.

There are two main types of grip: replacement grips and over grips. Replacement grips
are thicker, and are often used to increase the size of the handle. Over grips are thinner
(less than 1 mm), and are often used as the final layer. Many players, however, prefer
to use replacement grips as the final layer. Toweling grips are always replacement
grips. Replacement grips have an adhesive backing, whereas over grips have only a
small patch of adhesive at the start of the tape and must be applied under tension; over
grips are more convenient for players who change grips frequently, because they may
be removed more rapidly without damaging the underlying material.
 Shuttlecock

A shuttlecock (often abbreviated to shuttle and also

commonly known as a bird) is a high-drag projectile, with an
open conical shape. The cone is formed from fourteen to
sixteen overlapping goose feathers embedded into a
rounded cork base. The feathers can have a variable length
from 64mm to 70mm,but in each shuttle they shall be the
same length when measured from the tip to the top of the
base. The tips of the feathers shall form a circle with a

diameter within a range of 58mm to 68mm.The cork base shall be 25mm to 28mm in
diameter and covered with thin leather or synthetic material. The shuttle shall weigh
from 4.74 to 5.50 grams

Synthetic shuttles are often used by recreational players to reduce their costs as
feathered shuttles break easily. These nylon shuttles may be constructed with either
natural cork or synthetic foam base, and a plastic skirt.

Additionally, nylon shuttlecocks come in three varieties, each variety for a different
range of temperatures. These three varieties are known as green (slow speed), blue
(middle speed), and red (fast speed). The colours, and therefore speeds, are indicated
by coloured strips fastened around the cork. In colder temperatures, a faster shuttle is
used, and in hotter climates, a slower one is chosen.

 Shoes

Badminton shoes are lightweight with soles of rubber or similar high-grip, non-marking
materials.

Compared to running shoes, badminton shoes have little lateral support. High levels of
lateral support are useful for activities where lateral motion is undesirable and
unexpected. Badminton, however, requires powerful lateral movements. A highly built-
up lateral support will not be able to protect the foot in badminton; instead, it will
encourage catastrophic collapse at the point where the shoe's support fails, and the
player's ankles are not ready for the sudden loading, which can cause sprains. For this
reason, players should choose badminton shoes rather than general trainers or running
shoes, because proper badminton shoes will have a very thin sole, lower a person's
centre of gravity, and therefore result in fewer injuries. Players should also ensure that
they learn safe and proper footwork, with the knee and foot in alignment on all lunges.
This is not only a safety concern, as proper footwork is critical in order to move
effectively around the court.
STROKES
 1. Forehand and backhand
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 his playing hand: for a right-handed player,
the forehand side is his right side and the backhand side is his 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 his back to his opponents, restricting his 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 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 tend to be weak.
2. Position of the shuttlecock and receiving player
The choice of stroke depends on how near the shuttlecock is to the net, whether it is
above net height, and where an opponent is currently positioned: players have much
better attacking options if they can reach the shuttlecock well above net height,
especially if it is also close to the net. In the forecourt, a high shuttlecock will be met
with a net kill, hitting it steeply downwards and attempting to win the rally immediately.
This is why it is best to drop the shuttlecock just over the net in this situation. In the
midcourt, a high shuttlecock will usually be met with a powerful smash, also hitting
downwards and hoping for an outright winner or a weak reply. Athletic jump smashes,
where players jump upwards for a steeper smash angle, are a common and spectacular
element of elite men's doubles play. In the rearcourt, players strive to hit the
shuttlecock while it is still above them, rather than allowing it to drop lower. This
overhead hitting allows them to play smashes, clears (hitting the shuttlecock high and to
the back of the opponents' court), and dropshots (hitting the shuttlecock so that it falls
softly downwards into the opponents' forecourt). If the shuttlecock has dropped lower,
then a smash is impossible and a full-length, high clear is difficult.

Rookie Camaclang, Philippines, prepares for a vertical jump smash

3. Vertical position of the shuttlecock
When the shuttlecock is well below net height, players have no choice but to hit
upwards. Lifts, where the shuttlecock is hit upwards to the back of the opponents' court,
can be played from all parts of the court. If a player does not lift, his only remaining
option is to push the shuttlecock softly back to the net: in the forecourt this is called a
net shot; in the midcourt or rearcourt, it is often called a push or block.

When the shuttlecock is near to net height, players can hit drives, which travel flat and
rapidly over the net into the opponents' rear midcourt and rearcourt. Pushes may also
be hit flatter, placing the shuttlecock into the front midcourt. Drives and pushes may be
played from the midcourt or forecourt, and are most often used in doubles: they are an
attempt to regain the attack, rather than choosing to lift the shuttlecock and defend
against smashes. After a successful drive or push, the opponents will often be forced to
lift the shuttlecock.

4. Other factors
When defending against a smash, players have three basic options: lift, block, or drive.
In singles, a block to the net is the most common reply. In doubles, a lift is the safest
option but it usually allows the opponents to continue smashing; blocks and drives are
counter-attacking strokes, but may be intercepted by the smasher's partner. Many
players use a backhand hitting action for returning smashes on both the forehand and
backhand sides, because backhands are more effective than forehands at covering
smashes directed to the body.

The service is restricted by the Laws and presents its own array of stroke choices.
Unlike in tennis, the servers racket must be pointing in a downward direction to deliver
the serve so normally the shuttle must be hit upwards to pass over the net. The server
can choose a low serve into the forecourt (like a push), or a lift to the back of the service
court, or a flat drive serve. Lifted serves may be either high serves, where the
shuttlecock is lifted so high that it falls almost vertically at the back of the court, or flick
serves, where the shuttlecock is lifted to a lesser height but falls sooner.
5. Deceptions
Once players have mastered these basic strokes, they can hit the shuttlecock from and
to any part of the court, powerfully and softly as required. Beyond the basics, however,
badminton offers rich potential for advanced stroke skills that provide a competitive
advantage. Because badminton players have to cover a short distance as quickly as
possible, the purpose of many advanced strokes is to deceive the opponent, so that
either he is tricked into believing that a different stroke is being played, or he is forced to
delay his movement until he actually sees the shuttle's direction. "Deception" in
badminton is often used in both of these senses. When a player is genuinely deceived,
he will often lose the point immediately because he cannot change his direction quickly
enough to reach the shuttlecock. Experienced players will be aware of the trick and
cautious not to move too early, but the attempted deception is still useful because it
forces the opponent to delay his movement slightly. Against weaker players whose
intended strokes are obvious, an experienced player will move before the shuttlecock
has been hit, anticipating the stroke to gain an advantage.

Slicing and using a shortened hitting action are the two main technical devices that
facilitate deception. Slicing involves hitting the shuttlecock with an angled racquet face,
causing it to travel in a different direction than suggested by the body or arm movement.
Slicing also causes the shuttlecock to travel much slower than the arm movement
suggests. For example, a good crosscourt sliced drop shot will use a hitting action that
suggests a straight clear or smash, deceiving the opponent about both the power and
direction of the shuttlecock. A more sophisticated slicing action involves brushing the
strings around the shuttlecock during the hit, in order to make the shuttlecock spin. This
can be used to improve the shuttle's trajectory, by making it dip more rapidly as it
passes the net; for example, a sliced low serve can travel slightly faster than a normal
low serve, yet land on the same spot. Spinning the shuttlecock is also used to create
spinning net shots (also called tumbling net shots), in which the shuttlecock turns over
itself several times (tumbles) before stabilizing; sometimes the shuttlecock remains
inverted instead of tumbling. The main advantage of a spinning net shot is that the
opponent will be unwilling to address the shuttlecock until it has stopped tumbling, since
hitting the feathers will result in an unpredictable stroke. Spinning net shots are
especially important for high level singles players.

The lightness of modern racquets allows players to use a very short hitting action for
many strokes, thereby maintaining the option to hit a powerful or a soft stroke until the
last possible moment. For example, a singles player may hold his racquet ready for a
net shot, but then flick the shuttlecock to the back instead with a shallow lift. This makes
the opponent's task of covering the whole court much more difficult than if the lift was hit
with a bigger, obvious swing. A short hitting action is not only useful for deception: it
also allows the player to hit powerful strokes when he has no time for a big arm swing.
The use of grip tightening is crucial to these techniques, and is often described as finger
power. Elite players develop finger power to the extent that they can hit some power
strokes, such as net kills, with less than a 10 cm racquet swing.

It is also possible to reverse this style of deception, by suggesting a powerful stroke

before slowing down the hitting action to play a soft stroke. In general, this latter style of
deception is more common in the rearcourt (for example, drop shots disguised as
smashes), whereas the former style is more common in the forecourt and midcourt (for
example, lifts disguised as net shots).

Deception is not limited to slicing and short hitting actions. Players may also use double
motion, where they make an initial racquet movement in one direction before
withdrawing the racquet to hit in another direction. This is typically used to suggest a
crosscourt angle but then play the stroke straight, or vice versa. Triple motion is also
possible, but this is very rare in actual play. An alternative to double motion is to use a
racquet head fake, where the initial motion is continued but the racquet is turned during
the hit. This produces a smaller change in direction, but does not require as much time.
BADMINTON SERVE
1. High, deep serve

The high, deep serve is an underhand forehand serve hit high so that the shuttle
will land in deep court, near the back boundary line.

I. Starting position: Feet in stride position with left foot in front for right-
handed players. Shifts weight to the rear on backswing, then forward as
racquet comes forward. Both feet must remain in contact with the court;
“stepping” is a fault.
II. A full backswing is made with the wrist cocked.
III. The wrist is uncocked just before contact.
IV. Follow-through: Shuttle contact is made well in front of the body, not at
the side. On the follow-through of the underhand stroke, the racquet
carries over the left shoulder.
STRATEGY
 1. Doubles
Both pairs will try to gain and maintain the attack, smashing downwards when possible.
Whenever possible, a pair will adopt an ideal attacking formation with one player hitting
down from the rearcourt, and his partner in the midcourt intercepting all smash returns
except the lift. If the rearcourt attacker plays a drop shot, his partner will move into the
forecourt to threaten the net reply. If a pair cannot hit downwards, they will use flat
strokes in an attempt to gain the attack. If a pair is forced to lift or clear the shuttlecock,
then they must defend: they will adopt a side-by-side position in the rear midcourt, to
cover the full width of their court against the opponents' smashes. In doubles, players
generally smash to the middle ground between two players in order to take advantage
of confusion and clashes. Both players may hit the shuttlecock before it is hit over the
net back to the opposing side.

At high levels of play, the backhand serve has become popular to the extent that
forehand serves almost never appear in professional games. The straight low serve is
used most frequently, in an attempt to prevent the opponents gaining the attack
immediately. Flick serves are used to prevent the opponent from anticipating the low
serve and attacking it decisively.

At high levels of play, doubles rallies are extremely fast. Men's doubles is the most
aggressive form of badminton, with a high proportion of powerful jump smashes.

A mixed doubles game - Scottish Schools under 12s tournament, Tranent, May 2002
2. Singles
The singles court is narrower than the doubles court, but the same length, with the
exception that a serve in the single can reach the end of the court while a serve in the
doubles could not. Since one person needs to cover the entire court, singles tactics are
based on forcing the opponent to move as much as possible; this means that singles
strokes are normally directed to the corners of the court. Players exploit the length of
the court by combining lifts and clears with drop shots and net shots. Smashing is less
prominent in singles than in doubles because players are rarely in the ideal position to
execute a smash, and smashing often leaves the smasher vulnerable if the smash is
returned.

In singles, players will often start the rally with a forehand high serve. Low serves are
also used frequently, either forehand or backhand. Flick serves are less common, and
drive serves are rare.

At high levels of play, singles demands extraordinary fitness. Singles is a game of

patient positional manoeuvring, unlike the all-out aggression of doubles.

3. Mixed doubles
In mixed doubles, both pairs try to maintain an attacking formation with the woman at
the front and the man at the back. This is because the male players are substantially
stronger, and can therefore produce smashes that are more powerful. As a result,
mixed doubles requires greater tactical awareness and subtler positional play. Clever
opponents will try to reverse the ideal position, by forcing the woman towards the back
or the man towards the front. In order to protect against this danger, mixed players must
be careful and systematic in their shot selection ]

At high levels of play, the formations will generally be more flexible: the top women
players are capable of playing powerfully from the rearcourt, and will happily do so if
required. When the opportunity arises, however, the pair will switch back to the standard
mixed attacking position, with the woman in front.
GOVERNING BODIES

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) is the internationally recognized governing

body of the sport. Five regional confederations are associated with the BWF:

 Asia: Badminton Asia Confederation (BAC)

 Africa: Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA)
 Americas: Badminton Pan Am (North America and South America belong to the
same confederation; BPA)
 Europe: Badminton Europe (BE)
 Oceania: Badminton Oceania (BO)
Competitions

A mens doubles match. The blue lines are those for the badminton court. The other coloured
lines denote uses for other sports – such complexity being common in multi-use sports halls.

The BWF organizes several international competitions, including the Thomas Cup, the
premier men's event, and the Uber Cup, the women's equivalent. The competitions take
place once every two years. More than 50 national teams compete in qualifying
tournaments within continental confederations for a place in the finals. The titing supot
involves 12 teams, following an increase from eight teams in 2004.

The Sudirman Cup, a mixed team event held once every two years, began in 1989. It is
divided into seven groups based on the performance of each country. To win the
tournament, a country must perform well across all five disciplines (men's doubles and
singles, women's doubles and singles, and mixed doubles). Like association football
(soccer), it features a promotion and relegation system in every group.

Individual competition in badminton was a demonstration event in the 1972 and 1988
Summer Olympics. It became a Summer Olympics sport at the Barcelona Olympics in
1992. The 32 highest ranked badminton players in the world participate in the
competition, and each country submitting three players to take part. In the BWF World
Championships, only the highest ranked 64 players in the world, and a maximum of
three from each country, can participate in any category.

All these tournaments, along with the BWF World Junior Championships, are level one
tournaments.
At the start of 2007, the BWF also introduce a new tournament structure: the BWF
Super Series. This level two tournament will stage twelve open tournaments around the
world with 32 players (half the previous limit). The players collect points that determine
whether they can play in Super Series Final held at the year end.

Level paybtawsan tournaments will consist of Grand Prix Gold and Grand Prix event.
Top players can collect the world ranking points and enable them to play in the BWF
Super Series open tournaments. These include the regional competitions in Asia
(Badminton Asia Championships) and Europe (European Badminton Championships),
which produce the world's best players as well as the Pan America Badminton
Championships.

The level four tournaments, known as International Challenge, International Series and
Future Series, encourages participation by junior players.
Records
The most powerful stroke in badminton is the smash, which is hit steeply downwards
into the opponents' midcourt. The maximum speed of a smashed shuttlecock exceeds
that of any other racquet sport projectile. The recordings of this speed measure the
initial speed of the shuttlecock immediately after it has left the player's racquet.

Men's doubles player Fu Hai feng of China set the official world smash record of
332 km/h (206 mph) on June 3, 2005 in the Sudirman Cup. The fastest smash recorded
in the singles competition is 305 km/h (189 mph) by Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia.

Top seeded Men’s Singles Players

1 BAO Chun lai China

2 Chong Wei LEE Malaysia
3 Sung Hwan PARK Korea

Top seeded Women’s Singles Players

1 Mew Choo WONG Malaysia

2 Xing fang XIE China

3 Lan LU China

petition is 305 km/h (189 mph) by Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia.[17]