5 Basic Rules of Badminton
Just about everyone has gone to a park for a picnic or a family reunion where a badminton set is dragged out, set up, and play begins. While fun to some degree, any resemblance between that and competitive badminton is purely a coincidence. When playing a real match, one must learn the 5 basic rules of badminton at the very least.
As the only racquet sport not using a ball, players will use a racquet weighing about one fourth of the weight of a tennis racquet to hit a shuttlecock about one eleventh of the weight of a tennis ball. While the shuttlecock will decelerate quickly, it will leave the racquet face at a speed much faster than any other racquet sport. The fastest badminton stroke ever recorded is about 100 m.p.h. faster than the fastest tennis stroke. This style of badminton is no picnic. It is a tremendously fast and fun sport.
Other than the very new version played competitively as Air Badminton, this sport is played indoors. The rules below are for the indoor game.
The Court
At about half the size of a tennis court, all of the lines are “in” and come into play depending on if it is a singles or doubles match.
If the net is properly installed, it does not dip more than one inch in the middle and is tight from pole to pole. It may not be touched during rallies. A player’s follow through may pass over the net only after the shuttlecock is contacted on the player’s own side of the net.
Scoring
The first player to 21 winning by two points wins the game. A match is winning two out of three games. Players change ends after each game and, if there is a third game, when the first player gets to 11. A game tied at 29-29 ends with whoever wins the next point.
Points are won by either the server or the receiver. Points are won by a player if a receiver hits the shuttlecock into the net or outside of the player’s side of the court. Whoever wins a point will serve the next point.
Serving
Like pickleball, the serve must be struck in an upwards motion where the shuttlecock is struck below the waist of the server. (Technically no higher than 1.15 meters above the court.) They only get one chance to get the serve into the receiver’s service box opposite that of the server. Both players must begin the point motionless in their respective correct service box and cannot move until after the serve is struck.
In singles, the shuttlecock must land in the box consisting of the center line, the short service line, singles side line, and the back boundary line (also called the long service line for singles.) In doubles, it must land in the box consisting of the center line, the short service line, the doubles side line and the long service line for doubles. Therefore, it is fair to say that the doubles serving court is not as deep as in singles but it is wider. The singles serving court is deeper and not as wide as in doubles.
A player (singles or doubles) continues serving into alternate service courts until losing a point. In singles the new server begins serving from the right if the score is even and from the left if the score is odd. In doubles, the player on the right begins serving if the score is even and the player on the left begins serving if the score is odd. This means that doubles partners will alternate serving with each time the serve passes to their side.
Rallies
A point continues until someone wins the rally or a let is called. The shuttlecock must be hit before it hits the ground. Anytime the shuttlecock hits the ground on or inside the lines, the rally is over and a point awarded. You must wait until the shuttlecock is on your side of the net to hit it.
Lets
Essentially a “do over,” lets are called just like as in tennis with two exceptions. Normal lets are if a shuttlecock or player comes on the court from an adjoining court for example. The two exceptions:
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- On the serve, if a shuttlecock becomes stuck on the top of the net or stuck in the receiver’s side of the net before they have a chance to hit it, it is a let.
- More commonly, a let is called if the serve is hit before the receiver is ready. This rule is waived off, however, if the receiver makes any attempt to return the serve.
Note that if the shuttlecock hits the net and tumbles into the court of the receiver such that it is in, it is not a let. It is in play.
Due to the quickness of the sport, players are well advised to shop tennisracquets.com for the latest racquets. We are very well stocked with the apparel, shoes and accessories for you to have fun at this great source of exercise. If you have questions, please call as we love to help!