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 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 consists of 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

The beginnings of Badminton can be traced to mid-18th century British India, where it was
created by British military officers stationed there.[2] Early photographs show Englishmen adding
a net to the traditional English game of battledore and shuttlecock. Being particularly popular in
the British garrison town Poona (now Pune), the game also came to be known as Poona.[2][3]
Initially, balls of wool refereed as ball badminton were preferred by the upper classes in windy
or wet conditions, but ultimately the shuttlecock stuck. This game was taken by retired officers
back to England where it developed and rules were set out.

As early as 1860, Isaac Spratt, a London toy dealer, published a booklet, Badminton Battledore -
a new game, but unfortunately no copy has survived.[4]

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.[5]

Until 1887, the sport was played in England under the rules that prevailed in British India. The
Bath Badminton Club standardized the rules and made the game applicable to English ideas. The
basic regulations were drawn up in 1887.[5] 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.[6] 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, China 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.

Playing 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 ft 6 inch) 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 0.76 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.

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.
The basics
Each game is played to 21 points, with players scoring a point whenever they win a rally
regardless of whether they served [7] (this differs from the old system where players could only
win a point on their serve and each game was played to 15 points). 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 immediately passes to their opponent(s) (this
differs from the old system where sometimes the serve passes to the doubles partner for what is
known as a "second serve").

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

In doubles, if the serving side wins a rally, the same player continues to serve, but s/he changes
service courts so that s/he serves to a different opponent each time. If the opponents win the rally
and their new score is even, the player in the right service court serves; if odd, the player in the
left 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, the shuttlecock is cast and where ever the shuttlecock is pointing that side
begins or 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.

Lets

If a let is called, the rally is stopped and replayed with no change to the score. Lets may occur
because of 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).

Equipment
Racquets

Badminton racquets are light, with top quality racquets weighing between 75 and 95 grams (2.6
to 3.3 ounces) including the strings.[8][9] 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 aluminum. 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, because of their excessive mass and cost. Nowadays,
nanomaterials such as fullerene and carbon nanotubes are added to rackets giving them greater
durability.

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 0.62 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 160 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.[10] 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:[8] 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 towelling 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 overgrips. Replacement grips are
thicker, and are often used to increase the size of the handle. Overgrips 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. Towelling grips are always replacement grips. Replacement grips have an
adhesive backing, whereas overgrips have only a small patch of adhesive at the start of the tape
and must be applied under tension; overgrips 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 or birdie ) is a
high-drag projectile, with an open conical shape: the cone is formed from sixteen overlapping
feathers embedded into a rounded cork base. The cork is covered with thin leather or synthetic
material.

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 which will give you an extra
40% hang time/shot length), 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
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 rearcourt, 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.