What Are The Rules Of Badminton?

Badminton is a fun backyard game that is also played competitively around the world. The rules are straightforward, and points are scored by serving and volleying, like in other racket sports. Keep reading for a beginner’s overview of the rules of badminton.

Badminton Rules

The game of badminton follows very similar rules to that of tennis. Both sports use a rectangular court in which some sort of ball is hit across netting that has been hung in the center. In badminton, a piece of equipment called a shuttlecock is used instead of a typical tennis ball. This item is hit across the net by the individual players until it hits the ground, which those participating in the game are trying to avoid. When the shuttlecock touches the ground of the court, depending on where it has landed, there will be a stoppage of play, and one single point will be awarded to the designated team who earned that rally’s point.

Serving Rules

Serving in badminton happens both at the very beginning of the match in addition to each time a point has been earned by a team and there has been a stoppage of play. Therefore when a player serves, they are signaling that the next rally will begin.

The most basic form of badminton in singles, which is when there is only one player participating on each side for each team. The game always begins with a score or 0-0. The first server begins by standing in their right-service court, and will continue serving from this court when they have an even amount of points. If the server has an odd amount of points they will stand and serve from their left-service court.

When serving, the server must hit the shuttlecock over the net and into the opponent's diagonal service court. For example, when the server begins the game in their right-service court, their serve must land in their opponent's left-service court.

Scoring Rules

In badminton it is important to know that only one point can be scored at a time. This means that when the shuttlecock touches the ground, a point will be earned by only one player.

To earn a point in badminton, a player must win a rally. A rally can be won a few different ways. The majority of rallies will be won when the shuttle touches the ground. This can either be inside or outside of the court lines. When the shuttle touches the ground inside of the court lines, the player who missed the shuttle will lose that rally, and therefore the other player will earn the point. If the shuttle lands outside of the court line, the player who last hit the shuttle will lose the rally, and therefore the other player will earn the point.

Each game ends when one player has earned 11 points with a two point lead. If 11 points have been reached, but that player does not have a two point lead, the game will continue until one player does.

The Court

The game of badminton is played on a regulated court typically with a hard flooring like concrete. The specific dimensions of the court, when used in a competition or tournament are 44 feet by 20 feet. Although this is the size of the court, when only single players are participating they will use the more narrow lines that are drawn on the ground in order to keep the game as regulated as possible.

The court is shaped like a rectangle, and therefore allows each player to stand on the two opposite sides on either far end of the court. In the very center of each court moving across the width of the court is the badminton netting. A regulation net is typically 20 feet in width, the same as the court, and by 2.5 feet in height. The nets are typically made out of either nylon or some sort of polyethylene material.

Equipment

To participate in a badminton match, each player must have a regulated badminton racket. Badminton rackets can be purchased at any sports store or online. In pro competitions, the racket must be strung a certain way and there are regulations on the size and weight of rackets allowed. The total weight of the racket has to be between 80 and 100 grams, and it cannot be larger than 680 mm long and 230 mm wide.

In addition, at least one shuttlecock or birdie is required for each game, but more than one can make the game go more efficiently. There are also rules for how big and heavy a birdie can be, as using a non regulation birdie would lead to unfair advantages. The feathers of the birdie must be between 62 and 70 mm long, and the birdie must weigh between 4.74 and 5.5 grams.

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