Badminton Facts
Playing Badminton: Facts to Get You Started
If you are planning to take up badminton, facts such as rules of the game are important to get you started. A simple introduction to the game, the history of badminton and a basic understanding of a match are all useful badminton facts.
First let us have a basic understanding of the game of badminton. It is a racquet sport and it is played either as a singles match between two opposing players or as a doubles match between two opposing pairs. The opponents take up position on either side of a rectangular court with a net dividing the two halves. Badminton involves the players scoring points by striking a shuttlecock using their racquets. The idea is to make sure that the shuttlecock does not touch the ground on your half and to make it challenging for your opponent to reach and play the shuttle. The shuttlecock has to go over the net and a rally ends when the shuttle touches the ground on either side. A player is allowed to contact the shuttlecock once before it is passed over the net.
There are some similarities to games such as tennis and volleyball in theory but the equipment and scoring are unique to badminton. The racquets are fairly light and the shuttlecock, or the shuttle as it is also called, is a feathered object with a cork at its base which is where the player has to make contact. The shuttle’s aerodynamic properties make for interesting and unique plays in badminton. A rally is the passing back and forth of the shuttlecock and a rally can be won by making the shuttle go over the net and hit the opponent’s court floor. You can lose a rally if the shuttle touches your body or if you touch the shuttle before it crosses the net. It is also important to pay attention the court lines for they determine the ‘in’ and ‘out’ positions of the shuttle with in being needed to continue the rally.
Badminton is a fairly recent addition to human history. The game is said to have originated in British India when the English military officers started playing the traditional British game of Battledore and Shuttlecock with a net added between the players. From that origin in mid 19th century, badminton has established itself as an international sport fairly quickly. It is played around the world as a recreational indoor and outdoor sport and exclusively indoors as a competitive sport. Among significant badminton facts is that the sport was introduced to the Olympics in 1992 and is played as five events with men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles.
There is something light and easy about the game which is why many people take it up as a casual beach sport but it is important to know that if the game is played at competitive levels it takes fitness. Speed, stamina, strength and agility are all critical to succeed in the sport and there is a great deal of technique to be mastered to play against experts.
Now that you have some awareness of badminton facts, here is a quick introduction to a badminton match. A match typically is played as the best of three games. There is a coin toss at the beginning to determine service and court - one side gets to serve first and the other side gets to choose its half of the court. As for scoring rules in men’s singles and doubles the winning side needs to reach 15 points first and in women’s singles the target is 11 points. Recently there has been a Rally Point scoring format that has been introduced in major tournaments in which the target for the winning team is 21 points.
Service position and court changes have to be observed as per the rules for the game to be valid. You have to serve diagonally across the court and the shuttle should not be in the front box area. Players switch sides at the end of games and if there is a third game there is a switch when the leading team teaches 6 points in an 11-point game or 8 points in a 15-point game.
With these badminton facts you are ready to get started with the game. Badminton is an elegant and exciting sport that allows people of all calibers to enjoy the sport and if you want to take it up seriously if offers vigorous and exhilarating competitive possibilities also.
Some more useful badminton facts:
Court Measurements: 44ft x 22ft (double) / 44ft x 17ft (single)
Recommended height for the net: 5ft 1in on the sides / 5ft on the center of court