Badminton

1. Badminton

2. Badminton • History/Background • Basic Rules • Court/ Positions • Techniques • Red is input

3. History/Background • The history ofbadminton can be traced back to many games but mainly to battledore and shuttlecock which were played in ancient Greece over 2000 years ago. It was later called “Pouna” by the Indians. In 1873, the duke of Beaufort brought “Pouna” to England, and began to play on his country estate in Badminton, Gloucestershire. The game became very popular with the locals there and soon spread to other neighboring countries with the new name Badminton

4. Rules • Badminton is a game for singles and doubles. Players win points by hitting a “birdie” over a high net so that it lands on the other side of the court before the opposition can return it. • A point is won by hitting the birdie over the net so that it lands on the court before the opponent can return it or so that the opponent makes an error in returning it. A point is lost if the birdie is hit into or under the net, if it lands outside the opponent’s court, if the birdie touches a player or his or her clothing, or if a player hits the shuttle before it crosses the net.

5. Rules • Matches are the best of three games. If the server wins a rally, he or she scores a point and serves again from the other service court. If the serving player or side loses the rally, the opposing player or team scores a point. (This differs from the old system, changed in 2006, where players could only win a point on their own serve.) • The service then passes to the next player in turn, who in singles would be opponent, but in doubles could be either the server’s partner or, if both players have served, would be one of the opposing players. In badminton, 21 points win a game unless the score reaches 20-20. In that case, the first player or team to gain a two-point advantage wins. If the score reaches 29-29, the winner is the first player to 30

6. The Court • The server and receiver stand in diagonally opposite courts, as defined by the central line. The service must have part of both feet on the floor.Service alternates from the right and left halves of the court, beginning from the right in every game. Players change ends after each of the first two games and midway through the third game. • Short service line- If a serve lands short of this line the server or serving team lose the point (line closest to the net not directly under the net). • Service line- (single/double), the furthest line back on the court which marks the end line of the court, beyond this line is out of bounds. When serving the birdie, the server must stand behind this line. • The net- The net measures 20 ft long across the court, and 5’1 tall. The two uprights are always positioned on the doubles sidelines, even when singles matches are being played. Players are not allowed to touch the net with any part of their bodies or rackets (Summers 187-188).

7. The Court

8. Techniques • Serve- The arm must remain below shoulder height and both feet must be on the ground throughout the stroke: overarm “tennis-style” serves are illegal—the racket must remain beneath the server’s wrist. • Underarm clear- this high lob, played powerfully off the forehand, aims to pass above the opponent and drop steeply inside the back of the court for a winning shot. Clears can also be played off the backhand. • Backhand- Backhand strokes tend to be less powerful than shots played off a player’s forehand side, so they are often defensive shots to move an opponent out of position. Cross-court drives or drop shots, however, can be winners if they catch an opponent unaware. • Smash- Badminton’s most powerful hit is a powerful “smash” that drives the birdie steeply down in to the opponent’s court. It is often played with one or both feet off the ground to get a better angle above the net (Summers 187-188).