History of Badminton
History of Badminton
History of Badminton
The game of badminton is thought to be approximately 2000 years old. Early versions
were played in China, Greece, and India. It strongly resembles a game called
Battledore and Shuttlecock, which was played by the British upper class in the 17th
century.
This early version of the game did not use a net, and the goal of the game was to keep
the shuttlecock in the air for as long as possible. British officers posted in India likely
brought the modern game home with them in the 19th century. The first game of note
was played at the country estate of the Duke of Beaufort, which was named
Badminton House.
Rackets may be made of lots of materials, but modern badminton rackets are
usually made of a carbon fiber composite. A square head is traditional, but
many use an oval head shape now. The length must be no more than 680
millimeters and width must be no more than 230 mm. The head must be no
more than 280 mm in length and 220 mm in width.
Center Line
The Center Line is the line that divides the court from the Short Service Line to
the Back Boundary Line. This delineates the Left from Right Service Court.
Side Line for Singles Play
The Singles Side Line is marked 1 1/2 feet from the edge of the outer boundary
(doubles side line)
Two or four people can play the game - two for singles and four for doubles. The
players use their rackets to rally the shuttle, or pass the shuttle from side to side over
the net. If Team A fails to return a rally, that is a point for Team B.
The game is played to 21 points. If the score is tied at 20 points, teams play until one
side leads by two points (i.e., 21-23). If the score is tied at 29 points, whoever makes
the next point wins. A team wins the match when they win two out of three games.
The court is a 44-foot-long rectangle with a net at the midpoint. It should be 20 feet
wide for doubles and 17 feet wide for singles. In practice, courts tend to be 20 feet
wide with an inner line marking the sideline for singles. On each half of the court there
is a left and right service court, a short service line, and a back service line.
Scoring System
Doubles
A side has only one ‘set’.
The service passes consecutively to the players as shown in the diagram.
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.