Basics of Badminton

Badminton has evolved over generations to become the challenging, complex sport it is today. If you're interested in learning more about badminton, you've come to the right place. Here is some basic information to get you started. Badminton Rules The object of badminton is to keep a volley going without letting the badminton shuttlecock hit the ground, fall out of bounds, or be hit more than once by the same player or side. Only the serving side can score points.

The Badminton Court
A standard singles court in badminton measures 44 feet long by 17 feet wide. A doubles court should be 44 feet long and 20 feet wide, allowing a little extra space for two players to stand side by side. Regulation badminton nets are strung 5 feet from the ground. All boundary lines are considered "in," and shots that land on the lines are counted.

The Serve
Badminton rules dictate that serves are delivered diagonally to the opposite service court. If the serving side wins a volley, it scores a point and serves again from the alternate service court. If the receiving side wins the volley, the score stays the same and the serve is passed to the next player in turn (this is either the opponent in singles, or the partner in a doubles match).

A serve must land in the diagonal opposite court to be good. A serve that touches the badminton net and lands in the proper court is called a let and can be served again. Serves that are totally missed can also be redone. In singles, the serve is taken from the right-hand court when the score is even and from the left-hand court when the score is odd.

Points
Standard badminton games are played to 15 points. If the score reaches 14-all, the side that reached 14 first may choose to play to 15 or set the game to 17 points. Women's singles are traditionally played to 11 points and may be set to 13 points when tied at 10-all.

A "fault" in badminton results in a loss of service or a loss of the point. Faults include illegal serves, shots that land out of bounds, stepping out of bounds, or touching the net.

General Do's and Don'ts

• Players cannot touch the net with the badminton racquet or any part of their body during play.
• Players must not reach over the badminton net in order to hit the badminton birdie.
• Both sides must stand in their respective courts until the serve is made and the birdie is in action.
• The badminton racket should make contact with the birdie below the waist while serving.
• The badminton birdie should not rest on the badminton racket or be carried on the badminton racket at any time while serving or returning a shot.

Badminton is quickly growing in popularity, and people all over the world are discovering the fun challenge of this unique sport.