badminton

Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across

a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of
the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two
players per side). Badminton is often played as a casual outdoor activity in a
yard or on a beach; formal games are played on a rectangular indoor court.
Points are scored by striking the shuttlecock with the racquet and landing it
within the opposing side's half of the court.
The types of shuttles may still be used in modern play, but shuttles made from
synthetic materials are also allowed by the Badminton World Federation.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF; originally the International Badminton
Federation), the world governing body of the sport, was formed in 1934.
Badminton is also popular in Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, and Denmark. The
BWF’s first world championships were held in 1977. Several regional, national,
and zonal badminton tournaments are held in several countries. The best-
known of these is the All-England Championships. Other well-known
international tournaments include the Thomas Cup (donated 1939) for men’s
team competition and the Uber Cup (donated 1956) for women’s team
competition.

History:
Games including shuttlecocks were played for a long time in Eurasia but, the
modern-day game was introduced by the Britishers in the mid-19th century as
a variant for an earlier game called battledore and shuttlecock which is a game
played by two or more people using small rackets (battledores), made of
parchment or rows of gut stretched across wooden frames, and shuttlecocks,
made of a base of some light material, such as cork, with trimmed feathers
fixed around the top. The object is for players to bat the shuttlecock from one
to the other as many times as possible without allowing it to fall to the ground.
Badminton’s exact origin remains obscure. The name derives from the Duke of
Beaufort's Badminton House in Gloucestershire, but why or when remains
unclear.
The game may have originally developed among expatriate officers in British
India, where it was very popular by the 1870s. Ball badminton, a form of the
game played with a wool ball instead of a shuttlecock, was being played in
Thanjavur as early as the 1850s and was at first played interchangeably with
badminton by the British, the woolen ball being preferred in windy or wet
weather.
Early on, the game was also known as Poona or Poonah after the garrison town
of Poona where it was particularly popular and where the first rules for the
game were drawn up in 1873. By 1875, officers returning home had started a
badminton club in Folkestone. Initially, the sport was played with sides ranging
from 1 to 4 players, but it was quickly established that games between two or
four competitors worked the best. The shuttlecocks were coated with India
rubber and, in outdoor play, sometimes weighted with lead. Although the
depth of the net was of no consequence, it was preferred that it should reach
the ground.
Badminton first appeared in the Olympic Games as a demonstration sport in
1972 and as an exhibition sport in 1988. At the 1992 Games, it became a full-
medal Olympic sport, with competition for men’s and women’s singles (one
against one) and doubles (two against two). Mixed doubles were introduced at
the 1996 Games.
GROUND MEASUREMENTS:

COURT DIMENSIONS:-
The badminton court is 13.4m long and 6.1m wide. For singles, the court is
marked 5.18m wide.
The lines marking out the court are easily distinguishable and colored white or
yellow. The lines are 40mm wide.

A court may be marked out for singles only. The back boundary lines also
become the long service lines and the posts or the strips of material
representing them are placed on the sidelines.

The diagonal full length of the full court is 14.366m.

NETS:-
The net is 760mm in depth and a minimum of 6.1m wide.

The top of the net from the surface of the court is 1.524m at the center of the
court and 1.55m over the sidelines for doubles.

There must be no gaps between the ends of the net and the posts. If
necessary, the full depth of the net at the ends is tied to the posts.

POSTS:-
The posts are 1.55m high from the surface of the court and remain vertical
when the net is strained.

The posts are placed on the double sidelines irrespective of whether singles or
doubles are played. The posts or supports must not extend into the court
beyond the sidelines.

Where it is not practicable to have posted on the sidelines, some method can
be used to indicate the position of the sidelines where they pass under the net,
eg by the use of thin posts or strips of material 40mm wide, fixed to the
sidelines and rising vertically to the net cord.

The Different Types of Badminton Courts are:-

Synthetic Surface Badminton Court.
Wooden Surface Badminton Court.
Cement Surface Badminton Court.
Acrylic Surface Badminton Court. This type of badminton court is most similar
to the synthetic surfaces that come with PCV/PU.
SKILLS/TECHNIQUES:

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 tend to be weak.

Position of 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 many 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 rear court, 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 drop
shots (hitting the shuttlecock softly so that it falls sharply downwards into the
opponents' forecourt). If the shuttlecock has dropped lower, then a smash is
impossible and a full-length, high clear is difficult.

Spin:
Balls may be spun to alter their bounce (for example, topspin and backspin in
tennis) or trajectory, and players may slice the ball (strike it with an angled
racquet face) to produce such spin. The shuttlecock is not allowed to bounce,
but slicing the shuttlecock does have applications in 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.
Due to the way that its feathers overlap, a shuttlecock also has a slight natural
spin about its axis of rotational symmetry. The spin is in a counter-clockwise
direction as seen from above when dropping a shuttlecock. This natural spin
affects certain strokes: a tumbling net shot is more effective if the slicing action
is from right to left, rather than from left to right.
General skills for badminton:

1) Grip: Fundamental skills of badminton

The right grip in holding the racket is really important to achieve control on
shots while avoiding the chances of a wrist injury. A proper grip will allow you
to play both backhand and forehand strokes effortlessly.

Holding a racket is similar to a friendly handshake. Just the thumb will be

comfortably placed against the wider surface of the handle grip. The rest of the
hand will imitate a handshake. Remember to keep the handshake friendly,
avoiding a tight grip. It will hinder the flexibility in motion and also might lead
to wrist injuries in the long term.

Backhand and forehand Grip: Basic skills in badminton

The only difference while playing the 2 kinds of strokes is in the use of fingers.

Push the index finger forward while playing forehand strokes.

Push the thumb forward while playing backhand strokes.
 2) Stance
The stance is how you stand while playing badminton, both in between a rally
and before the serve. A stable and correct stance will bring a huge change in
the results due to easier movement. There are 3 types of stance, attacking,
defensive and net stance.
Attacking: It is used to get into position before playing an overhead forehand
stroke. To stand in the attacking stance turn your body facing the sidelines with
racket leg behind and both legs shoulder-width apart. Now raise both racket
and non-racket arms to generate the power to attack the shuttle on its
downward trajectory.

Defensive: To defend the opponent’s smash, you need to be prepared with the
defensive stance. Face the body to the net and place your racket in front at
waist height, slightly pointing forward. You can keep the non-racket arm
comfortable while ensuring a better balance.

Net Stance: This stance is to be ready for the opponent’s return after playing a
net shot. To play this shot, place your foot on the racket side forward while
keeping a non-racket foot at the back. Place the racket in front of the body,
slightly above waist height while raising the non-racket arm. Shift the body
weight slightly forward to be ready to pounce forward.

3) Footwork
Badminton is played on a court with limited space, and the athletes have to
take care of the same while playing. Footwork plays a huge role in helping with
an effective and organized movement on the court. Some coaches even raise
footwork to prime importance over other skills.
Tips for proper footwork
 Always remember the base (starting point).
 Move only 2-3 steps backward.
 Shuffle only 1 step sidewards.
 Move only 2-3 steps front.

4) Service
Service is among the most basic skill that you need to master in Badminton.
Also, you should ensure to make a legal service otherwise it might lead to
penalty points. Check out Badminton rules and dimensions here.

There can be 2 types of service in badminton, depending on the landing aim

of the shuttle.

High Serve
High serve aims at the back-end corner of the opponent’s court. Ideally, a
good high serve results in the shuttle dropping steeply downwards at the
back end of the court. A high serve is presented to opponents having the
ability to executing a strong smash. You can always expect a lob or a drop
from your opponent as a reply to a properly executed high serve.

Generally, it is recommended to serve the shuttle to the opponent’s

backhand area. This is to exploit the weaker backhand that exists in the
game of most of the players.

Low Serve
Unlike high serve, the low serve aims to the front of the court. The objective
is to let the shuttle fly just above the net landing in the front corner of the
court. In this case, your opponent has the opportunity to dash forward and
smash the shuttle to you if the execution is poor.
5) Smash
Smash is the most potent stroke in badminton which naturally turns out to
be the most familiar term to all. The shot is basically to hit the shuttle
powerfully towards the opponent’s body or downward on the court. A
perfectly executed smash has no defense. This badminton skill is the most
aggressive and technical one. Fundamentally there are 3 types of smashes:
forehand, backhand, and jump smash.

The forehand is an overhead smash which is similar to the action of

throwing a ball. You shouldn’t have a problem playing this stroke if you can
throw a ball well. This skill in badminton acts as a game-changer for
beginners.
Backhand Smash is one of the toughest strokes in badminton, and even
experts face difficulty in playing the stroke. Still, it is important to practice
and get the technique to rise in the skill level. To execute this stroke, getting
the backhand grip is extremely important. Also, it is equally important to
return back to stance. Backhand smash skill in badminton requires years of
practice and consistency.
A forehand smash with a timed jump added to it counts under jumping
smash. This skill in badminton is the most glamorous of all.

6) Drop Shot

Amongst all the basic skills in Badminton, the drop shot is the most
technical one. Badminton Drop Shots are delicate badminton shots that can
win you points that aim at scoring points in deception. Played with both
backhand and forehand, these are used to move the opponent to the
frontcourt. This creates space in the midcourt and backcourt for you to
exploit. There are slow and fast drop shots, played judging the situation.
This fundamental badminton skill if developed properly can turn an
intermediate player into an expert.

7) Clear or lob
The lob shot in Badminton can be imagined as a shot with an inverted ‘U’ trajectory. It
is normally played from the forecourt to lift or ‘lob’ the shuttle over the opponent. The
idea is to land it as near to the baseline as it is, at an angle that is impossible to
clear. This is similar to the drop in challenging the opponent with sudden motion
backward this time. It can also be executed by both backhand and forehand. This
generally results in the creation of space in the front and midcourt, opening plenty of
opportunities. It is one of the basic badminton skills one can learn with practice
without joining coaching.
BASIC RULES OF THE GAME:
Scoring:
In recent years, badminton has changed how players can score a point. In
2006, the rules were changed to a rally point system and this now allows
both players to score a point during a rally, regardless of who served.

In competitive adult matches, all games are played to a best of three

games. To win a game, a player must reach 21 points. However, if the game
is tied at 20-20 (or 20-all) then you are required to win by two clear points.
Unlike most sports, however, if the score becomes 29-29 (or 29-all), the
player or team to score the 30th point will win the game.

Rules
 A match consists of the best of three games of 21 points.
 The player/pair winning a rally adds a point to its score.
 At 20-all, the player/pair which first gains a 2-point lead wins that
game.
 At 29-all, the side scoring the 30th point wins that game.
 The player/pair winning a game serves first in the next game.
 A badminton match can be played by two opposing players (singles)
or four opposing players (doubles).
 A competitive match must be played indoors utilizing the official
court dimensions.
 A point is scored when the shuttlecock lands inside the opponent's
court or if a returned shuttlecock hits the net or lands outside of the
court the player will lose the point.
 At the start of the rally, the server and receiver stand in diagonally
opposite service courts.
 Legal services must be hit diagonally over the net and across the
court.
 A badminton serve must be hit underarm and below the server's
waist height with the racquet shaft pointing downwards, the
shuttlecock is not allowed to bounce. After a point is won, the players
will move to the opposite serving stations for the next point.
  The rules do not allow second serves.
 During a point, a player can return the shuttlecock from inside and
outside of the court.
 A player is not able to touch the net with any part of their body or
racket.
 A player must not deliberately distract their opponent.
 A player is not able to hit the shuttlecock twice.
 A 'let' may be called by the referee if an unforeseen or accidental
issue arises.
 A game must include two rest periods. These are a 90-second rest
after the first game and a 5-minute rest after the second game.
Officials:
The referee is in overall charge of a badminton tournament or
championship(s) of which a match forms part, to uphold the Laws of
Badminton and Competition Regulations in the BWF Statutes.

Individual singles matches require a total of six officials:

 an umpire who is in charge of the match, the court, and its

immediate surroundings
 four line judges (two for each side of the court positioned at the
baseline) who indicate whether a shuttlecock landed 'in' or 'out on
the line(s) assigned
 a service judge
 Doubles matches require a total of eight officials. This is as above but
an additional two line judges are sometimes added (one for each side
of the court positioned at the doubles service line).