Badminton Originally Was Played Without a Net with the Objective of Keeping a Rally

Badminton Study Sheet

Fun Facts

Badminton originally was played without a net with the objective of keeping a rally

going as long as possible.

Badminton evolved from a child’s game in India called battledore and shuttlecock.

The shuttlecock has been often called a birdie because it is made of feathers.

Birdies can travel at speeds of up to 200 miles (322 kilometres) per hour.

Badminton joined the Olympic Games in 1992.

History

Badminton did not get its name until it was played at Badminton, the country estate of the

Duke of Beaufort, in 1893, though different forms of the game were played thousands of

years earlier in ancient Greece and China. The game arrived in Britain in the early 1870s

thanks to some military officers who served in India and returned home with equipment

for a competitive game called poona. The Duke of Beaufort officially introduced the game to

his party guests and its popularity grew among the elite who came to call it the Badminton

game. By 1896, with more than 14 clubs actively playing badminton, the British

standardized its rules. The International Badminton Association is still housed in England.

Skills

Serves (putting the birdie into play):

- Short serve—With racket foot forward, handle and racket head lower than the

waist, and a backhand grip, push forearm forward, hyper-extending the wrist.

- High serve—In forward stride position (non-racket-foot forward), reach the

racket beneath the dropping birdie. Swing so the butt of the racket leads. Finish

with a sharp wrist snap. Follow through so the racket comes up across the body

and the face is up.

Clearing shots (keeping opponents in backcourt):

- Overhead clear—Get under the dropping shuttlecock. Bring both arms up so the

racket is behind the head and the racket elbow is up. On contact, extend the

racket arm quickly, with the racket facing up through most of the swing. Finish

with a crisp wrist snap.

- Underhand clear—Same instructions as for the high serve.

Attacking shot or smash (finishing the point)—Prepare as you would for an overhead

clear, with both arms up as you position yourself to be slightly in back of the dropping

shuttlecock.

Make sure to contact the shuttlecock above and in front of your face. Swing and follow

through as you would in the overhead clear. This shot cannot be successful from deep

in the court because it will not clear the net.

Touch shots:

- Overhead drop shot—Prepare for overhead clear, arms up, weight on back foot,

swing up to contact the birdie above and slightly closer to the net than you.

Soften grip on racket on contact, stop the wrist snap, and limit the followthrough

so that the racket pushes the shuttlecock just over the net toward the

sideline.

- Hairpin shot—Run in to return a drop shot. Use an open racket face. Contact

with a soft touch, flicking the wrist to make the shot barely clear the net.

Rules

Singles serving

- At the beginning of the game (0-0) and when the server’s score is even, the

server serves from the right service court. When the server’s score is odd, the

server serves from the left service court.

- If the server wins a rally, the server scores a point and then serves again from

the alternate service court.

- If the receiver wins a rally, the receiver scores a point and becomes the new

server. They serve from the appropriate service court – left if their score is odd,

and right if it is even.

Doubles serving

- Under the traditional scoring system each side had two sets of serves before

handing over to your opponents, a side now only has one set.

- At the beginning of the game and when the score is even, the server serves from

the right service court.

- When it is odd, the server serves from the left court.

- If the serving side wins a rally, the serving side scores a point and the same

server serves again from the alternate service court.

- If the receiving side wins a rally, the receiving side scores a point. The receiving

side becomes the new serving side.

- The players do not change their respective service courts until they win a point

when their side is serving.

- Note that this means

The order of server depends on the score odd or even same as in singles.

The service courts are changed by the servicing side only when a point is

scored. In all other cases, the players continue to stay in their respective

service court from where they played previous rally. This shall

guarantee alternate server.

Scoring

A match consists of the best of 3 games of 21 points.

Every time there is a serve – there is a point scored.

The side winning a rally adds a point to its score.

At 20 all, the side which gains a 2 point lead first, wins that game.

At 29 all, the side scoring the 30th point, wins that game.

The side winning a game serves first in the next game.

Match Play

The team winning the previous game serves first.

The best of three games wins the match.

Positioning Strategies

Up and back (forward and back): The strongest player covers two-thirds of the court,

taking a center position two-thirds back from the net. The net player plays a center position

in forecourt, on or near where the short line meets the centerline.

Side by side (parallel): Each player plays own side of the court, with shots down the center

being played by the left-side player, who takes it with her forehand.