HISTORY AND BACKGROUND OF BADMINTON

Badminton has its origins in ancient civilizations in Europe and Asia.  The ancient game
known as battledore (bat or paddle) and shuttlecock probably originated more than 2000 years
ago. In the 1600s battledore and shuttlecock was an upper class pastime in England and many
European countries. Battledore and shuttlecock was simply two people hitting a shuttlecock
backwards and forwards with a simple bat as many times as they could without allowing it to hit
the ground.

Modern badminton can be traced to mid-19th century British India. It was created by
British military officers stationed there.  A net was added to the traditional English game of
battledore and shuttlecock. As it was popular in the British garrison town of Poona, the game
came to be known as "Poona" or "Poonai" Initially, woolen balls were preferred by the upper
classes in windy or wet conditions, but ultimately shuttlecocks took over the role of a "ball." This
game was taken by retired officers who got back to England. It was introduced as a game for the
guests of the Duke of Beaufort at his stately home 'Badminton' in Gloucestershire, England
where it became popular. Hence, the origin of the name "Badminton."

In March 1898, the first Open Tournament was held at Guildford and the first 'All
England' Championships were held the following year. The International Badminton Federation
was formed in 1934 with nine founder members, England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Denmark,
Holland, Canada, New Zealand and France.  India joined as an affiliate in 1936.

The first major IBF tournament was the Thomas Cup (world men's team championships)
in 1948. Since then, the number of world events has increased with the addition of the Uber Cup
(women's team), World Championships (individual events), Sudirman Cup (mixed team), World
Junior Championships and the World Grand Prix Finals.

Badminton is a relatively new Olympic sport. It was a demonstration sport at the  1972
Munich Olympics. Badminton eventually became an Olympic sport in Barcelona in 1992. Only
the singles and doubles were introduced for the first time in the Olympic Games. Mixed doubles
was included in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and badminton is the only sport that has mixed
doubles event in the Olympics.

Only five countries have won gold medals at the Olympics since badminton was
introduced in 1992 - China, Indonesia and Korea, England and Denmark. Susi Susanti from
Indonesia won the women's singles in Barcelona, becoming Indonesia's first medalist after forty
years participating in the Olympics. Ironically, Susi's future husband, Alan Budi Kusama won
Indonesia's second gold medal in the men's singles.
 The Philippines joined the International Badminton Federation in 1950 and organized its
first national group – the Philippine Badminton Association (PBA) in 1952. In 1949, Adriano
Torres Jr. was the first national singles champion. By the 1960’s, the Philippines was no longer
a stranger to international badminton. Names like Johnny Yan and Stephen Cheng (men’s
doubles champions in the 1962 Hong Kong Open); the team of Danny So, Renato Navarro,
Jaime Gapas, Conrado Co and Armando Yanga (team gold in 1966 Triangular Meet, Vietnam)
and Errol Chan (round of 16 finisher in the 1979 World Badminton Championships) allowed the
country to gain access to world badminton.

However, despite these names, badminton was not popular from the 50’s to the 80’s.
There were no training programs or coaches that taught the sport. There were very few major
clubs, even in the capital Manila where, at the YMCA, Philippine Navy and Valle Verde,
enthusiasts could only play at night. Athletes had to go out of the country, see foreign coaches or
meet foreign players to learn more about the basics of the sport. Badminton was not given much
importance. Only in the early 80s, when would-be President Fidel V. Ramos (then Lt. General in
the Philippines Armed Forces and President of the PBA) sent a select group of players to
Fuzhou, Fujian, China, did the country have its first taste of standard international training. This
kind of exchange enabled these players to start key training programs themselves. Shortly after
that, a badminton team represented the Philippines in the Southeast Asian Games for the first
time, in 1981, and at the Thomas Cup in 1984.

Badminton slowly began to rise in popularity. Courts began to sprout up, especially in
military and police camps like in Cramp Crame and Fort Bonifacio. Military men had their
people play as a major recreational pursuit and eventually teams were formed to concentrate on
the sport. Figures seen playing were former First Lady Amelita Ramos and her husband, former
President Ramos, which added to the sport’s popularity. More clubs sprung up, such as the
Manila Polo Club, and this led to the organization of local tournaments.

In the mid-nineties, many firsts were made for the country. Among these were Melvin
Llanes becoming the first junior champ (at the 1992 Prince Asian Juniors) and Weena Lim
becoming the first Filipino to qualify for in the Olympic Games, respresenting the islands in
Atlanta in 1996. Lim partnered Kennie Asuncion to win the country’s first gold medals in
international competitions – the 1995 Arafura Games Australia and the 1997 Australian
Championships – and advance to the semi-finals in the 2002 U.S. Open. They also won bronze
in ladies’ doubles in the 1997 Jakarta SEA Games, where the men’s team also upset Singapore
and reached the highest place ever achieved (2nd runner up in the men’s team event). Shortly
thereafter, the men’s team won their first victory in Thomas Cup play, at the 1998 Asian Zonal
Championships.

The mixed doubles partnership of Kennie and Kennevic Asuncion racked up a fair share
of international results, including bronze medals in the 1997 and 2003 SEA Games, in the 2002
Canada Open, before the siblings went on to qualify for the 2003 World Championships, with
Kennevic Asuncion also qualifying in singles. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) had
them as high as #11 in the world rankings, during the 2008 the Olympic season.

At the same time, more efforts were made to promote badminton through national
competitions. Televised tournaments were brought to malls and major coliseums. There were
badminton shows on major television channels. World-class players from Malaysia, Indonesia,
China, Poland and others were invited to spar with local athletes.

FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT

1. Racket – Badminton racket is quite light and can be made of wood.

aluminum. metal or synthetic materials such as graphite or carbon. A
synthetic racket is quite popular now because of its extreme lightness
and strength. A badminton racket weighs roughly 98-100 grams (3 1/2
oz), and is 68 cm. in length.

PARTS OF THE RACKET

 Stringed Area – is extended to hit the shuttle. It is of uniform pattern

and does not exceed 280 mm. (11 in.) in length and 220 mm. in
width.
 Head– bounds the stringed area.
 Throat – connects the shaft to the head.
 Shaft – connects the handle to the head
 Ferrule – firmly connects the shaft and the handle.
 Handle – is intended for a player’s grip
 Butt – is located at the tip of the handle
 Frame – includes the head, the throat, the shaft and the handle. It is no more than 680
mm. or wider than 230 mm.

2. Shuttlecock – is the official name given to the shuttle or bird. It is

made up of 16 goose feathers and is firmly fixed in a leather
covered cork head. It weighs from 4.74-5.50 grams. It may be made
of feathers, plastic or nylon.

Nylon-Vs-Feather-Badminton-Shuttlecock

TYPES OF SHUTTLECOCK
  Feathered Shuttle – consists of 16 goose feathers. Its length is 62-70 mm. It must be
fastened firmly with thread or other suitable materials.
 Cork or Base – shall be 25-28 mm. in diameter, and is rounded on the bottom.

3. Court – although courts can be set outdoors, competitive badminton is generally played
indoor where the wind and other elements will note affect the shuttle. The official
badminton court is 20 ft. wide, while the singles court is 17 ft. wide.

 Back-court – also called rear court. The back-court is 8 ft. of the court, including the back
alley.
 Baseline – also called back line; back boundary line at each end of the end of the court
parallel to the net and the doubles long service line.
 Long Service Line – in singles, the back boundary line; in doubles, the line 2 1/2 ft.
inside the back boundary line. Any serve landing behind this line is out.
 Mid-Court – the middle third of the court from the short service line to the back third, a
distance of about 7 1/2 ft.
 Service Shot – area into where the service must be declined. A service may be made to
the right or left service court depending on the score.
 Short Service Line – the line 6 1/2 ft. from and parallel to the net. A serve must land on
or behind it to be legal.

4. Posts – the posts should stand 1.55 m. ( 5 ft., 1 in.) in height from the surface of the court.
They must be placed on the doubles sidelines. For singles as well as for doubles, they must
also be firm to take the necessary tension when the net is strained across to its full height.
There should be no gap between the post and the net through which a shuttle could pass.
This can be ensured by the use of hooks down the inside of the ports and a draw-cord along
the bottom of the net.

5. Net – At all times, this should be strained tightly so that its height from the floor is 1.524 (5
ft.) long at the post. A measuring rod, should be kept by the umpires chair to facilitate
regular testing to ensure the net is still and its correct central height and has not sagged.
RULES AND REGULATIONS OF BADMINTON

Toss - The rules of badminton states that a toss shall be conducted before a game starts. If you
win, you can choose between serving first or to start play at either end of the court. Your
opponent can then exercise the remaining choice.
Scoring system - The rules of badminton states that a badminton match shall consist of the best
of 3 games. In doubles and men's singles, the first side to score 15 points wins the game. In
women's singles, the first side to score 11 points wins the game. If the score becomes 14-all
(10-all in women's singles), the side which first scored 14 (10) shall exercise the choice to
continue the game to 15 (11) points or to 'set' the game to 17 (13) points. The side winning
a game serves first in the next game. Only the serving side can add a point to its score.
Recently BWF have been testing a new scoring format of 21 points per game on all major
Badminton competition and decided to replace the old format permanently.
Change of ends - The rules of badminton states that you have to change ends with your
opponent after finishing the first game. If a third game was to be played, you shall change
ends when the leading score reaches 6 in a game of 11 points or 8 in a game of 15 points.
Rules of Badminton - Singles
Serving and receiving courts
You shall serve from, and receive in, the right service court when you or your opponent has
scored an even number of points in that game.
You shall serve from, and receive in, the left service court when you or your opponent has
scored an odd number of points in that game.
You and your opponent will hit the shuttle alternately until a 'fault' is made or the shuttle
ceases to be in play.
Scoring and serving
You score a point and serve again from the alternate service court when your opponent
makes a 'fault' or the shuttle ceases to be in play because it touches the surface of your
opponent's side of court.
No points will be scored when you make a 'fault' or the shuttles ceases to be in play
because it touches the surface of your side of court. The serving right will then be
transferred to your opponent.
Rules of Badminton - Doubles
At the start of the game, and each time a side gains the right to serve, the service shall be
delivered from the right service court. Only your opponent standing diagonally opposite of you
shall return the service.
Should your opponent's partner touched or hit the shuttle, it shall be a 'fault' and your side scores
a point.
Order of play and position on court
After the service is returned, either you or your partner may hit the shuttle from any position on
your side of the net. Then either player from the opposing side may do the same, and so on, until
the shuttle ceases to be in play.
Scoring and serving
If you are serving or receiving first at the start of any game, you shall serve or receive in the right
service court when your side or your opponent's side scored an even number of points.
You shall serve from or receive in the left service court when your side or your opponent's side
has scored an odd number of points.
The reverse pattern shall apply to your partner.
In any game, the right to serve passes consecutively from the initial server to the initial receiver,
then to that initial's receiver's partner, then to the opponent who is due to serve from the right
service court, then to that player's partner, and so on.
You shall not serve out of turn, receive out of turn, or receive two consecutive services in the
same game, except as provided in service court errors and 'lets'.
Service court errors
A service court error has been made when a player has served out of turn, has served from the
wrong service or standing on the wrong service court while being prepared to receive the service
and it has been delivered.
If a service court error is discovered after the next service had been delivered, the error shall not
be corrected. If a service court error is discovered before the next service is delivered, the
following rules apply.
If both sides committed an error, it shall be a 'let'. If one side committed the error and won the
rally, it shall be a 'let'. If one side committed the error and lost the rally, the error shall not be
corrected.
If there is a 'let' because of a service court error, the rally is replayed with the error corrected. If a
service court error is not to be corrected, play in that game shall proceed without changing the
player's new service courts.
Faults
The rules of badminton consider the following as faults:
 If the shuttle lands outside the boundaries of the court, passes through or under the net,
fail to pass the net, touches the ceiling or side walls, touches the person or dress of a
player or touches any other object or person.
 If the initial point of contact with the shuttle is not on the striker's side of the net. (The
striker may, however, follow the shuttle over the net with the racket in the course of a
stroke.)
  If a player touches the net or its supports with racket, person or dress, invades an
opponent's court over the net with racket or person except as permitted.
 If a player invades an opponent's court under the net with racket or person such that an
opponent is obstructed or distracted or obstructs an opponent, that is prevents an
opponent from making a legal stroke where the shuttle is followed over the net.
 If a player deliberately distracts an opponent by any action such as shouting or making
gestures.
 If the shuttle is caught and held on the racket and then slung during the execution of a
stroke
 If the shuttle is hit twice in succession by the same player with two strokes.
 If the shuttle is hit by a player and the player's partner successively or touches a player's
racket and continues towards the back of that player's court.
 If a player is guilty of flagrant, repeated or persistent offences under Law of Continuous
Play, Misconduct, Penalties.
 If, on service, the shuttle is caught on the net and remains suspended on top, or, on
service, after passing over the net is caught in the net.
Lets
'Let' is called by the umpire, or by a player (if there is no umpire), to halt play.
A 'let' may be given for any unforeseen or accidental occurrence.The rules of badminton consider
the following as 'lets':
 If a shuttle is caught in the net and remains suspended on top or, after passing over the
net, is caught in the net, it shall be a 'let' except on service.
 If, during service, the receiver and server are both faulted at the same time, it shall be a
'let'.
 If the server serves before the receiver is ready, it shall be a 'let'.
 If, during play, the shuttle disintegrates and the base completely separates from the rest
of the shuttle, is shall be a 'let'.
 If a line judge is unsighted and the umpire is unable to make a decision, it shall be a 'let'.
 A 'let' may occur following a service court error. When a 'let' occurs, the play since the
last service shall not count and the player who served shall serve again, except where in
situations where the Law of Service Court Errors is applicable.
Shuttle not in play
A shuttle is not in play when it strikes the net and remains attached there or suspended on top.
A shuttle is not in play when it strikes the net or post and starts to fall towards the surface of the
court on the striker's side of the net.
A shuttle is not in play when it hits the surface of the court or a 'fault' or 'let' has occurred.
Continuous play, misconduct, penalties
Play shall be continuous from the first service until the match is concluded, except as allowed in
intervals not exceeding 90 seconds between the first and second games, and not exceeding 5
minutes between the second and third games.
Officials and appeals
The referee is in overall charge of the tournament. The umpire, where appointed, is in charge of
the match, the court and its immediate surrounds. The umpire shall report to the referee. The
service judge shall call service faults made by the server should they occur. A line judge shall
indicate whether a shuttle landed 'in' or 'out' on the line or lines assigned. An official's decision is
final on all points of fact for which that official is responsible.
An umpire shall:
 Upload and enforce the Rules of Badminton and, especially, call a 'fault' or 'let' should
either occur.
 Give a decision on any appeal regarding a point of dispute, if made before the next
service is delivered.
 Ensure players and spectators are kept informed of the progress of the match.
 Appoint or remove line judges or a service judge in consultation with the referee.
 Where another court official is not appointed, arrange for that official's duties to be
carried out.
 Where an appointed official is unsighted, carry out the official's duties or play a 'let'.
 Record and report to the referee all matters in relation to continuous play, misconduct and
penalties.
 Take to the referee all unsatisfied appeals on questions of law only. (Such appeals must
be made before the next service is delivered, or, if at the end of the game, before the side
that appeals has left the court.)

SKILLS INVOLVE IN BADMINTON

1. The Ready Stance

Always having the right stance when playing makes it a lot easier to minimize the
movements you need to make to hit a shot. The ready stance done by putting your non-racquet
leg a step forward and about shoulder width away from your racquet leg. Slightly bend both
knees with your weight balanced between both legs. Slightly bend forward from the hip, keeping
your back straight, and lift your racquet up with your racquet-hand in front of you slightly above
your shoulder and the head of the racquet to be right above your forehead. Raise your non-
racquet arm to help improve your balance.
2. Forehand and Backhand Grip
Having the right grip is crucial in helping new players control their shots better and
protects from possible injury from putting too much pressure on the wrist. The simplest way to
grip your badminton racquet is by imitating a handshake. Your thumb should press against the
handle while the rest of your hand and four fingers wrap around the racquet. This handshake
should be a friendly one. Don’t grip too tightly because you need to retain flexibility in your
wrist. It is recommended that you opt to put a wrap around your grip to make it more
comfortable and less slippery.

This grip applies to both forehand and backhand grips used for both forehand and
backhand shots. The variations lie in that for the forehand grip, it’s better to fold your thumb a
bit and let your index finger control the racquet on the stroke, while for the backhand grip, the
thumb pressing against the racquet will control the stroke. Having a loose grip and being able to
quickly switch between grips is an advanced skill that allows pros to shift from forehand to
backhand easily.

3. Footwork
Footwork is basic badminton skill that a lot of new players often overlook. But having the
right footwork makes the game so much easier as it allows you to cover more ground around the
court while using less time and energy. Lateral steps are the best way to move around the
badminton court as it allows you to cover a lot of ground and change direction fast, while putting
less strain on your knees. By practicing the right footwork, you’ll feel that it is easier to recover
to hit shuttles that are flying towards the other side of the court. Some basic drills to improve
your lateral movement can be very effective in helping train yourself to move around the court
better.

4. Strokes
There are 4 basic strokes that every beginner needs to learn. By knowing these, beginners
can create good badminton stroke habits, which they can use in the future for more advanced
shots like drops, smashes and drives. These are:

 Overhead Forehand – this is the most common stroke and most beginners are very more
comfortable using this especially for stronger strokes. Make sure to have a forehand grip, lift
your racket arm up with the racket slightly above your head, and tilt your body to the side of
your racket arm with your racket arm behind you. Widen your chest and use your non-racket
hand to point at the shuttlecock to aim. Straighten out your racket arm then swing it towards
the shuttle in a downward motion while slightly rotating your waist towards the front. Swing
the racket until it’s pointing slightly downwards.

 Overhead Backhand- the overhead backhand is slightly more difficult for beginners as
you’ll have to face your body backward to use this effectively. This is a slightly advanced
 shot that is hard to master at first but doing so will set good foundations to how you play
badminton. To start, turn your body to the back in the direction of your non-racket arm, with
your racket arm raised in front of you and pointing towards the back. Keep your racket-arm
close to your body, bent such that your elbow is pointing down. As the shuttle approaches
above your head level, slightly tilt your arm downward to gain momentum then swing up
and flick your wrist upward until the racket is pointing up and your arm is straightened out.
Remember to immediately go back to your ready stance once you’ve hit the shot.

 Underarm Forehand– the underarm forehand allows you to hit low shots with a lot of
strength, but it is quite challenging to aim at first. To do this, from your ready stance, lunge
forward with your racket-leg and keep your racket arm slightly bent with the top of the
racket’s head slightly below shoulder level. Straighten your arm out to make the racket tilt
backwards then flick your wrist, followed by your arm, to swing forward when hitting the
shuttle. Bend your body forward slightly to keep your balance.

 Underarm Backhand– the underarm backhand is actually easier to do than the overhead
counterpart since you won’t need to turn backwards. Lunging towards your backhand area,
Bend your racket arm downward with the racket handle parallel to the floor and the racket
head parallel to your body. Flick your wrist upward, followed by your arm until your arm is
extended straight and aligned with your shoulder.

5. Underarm Backhand Serve

The underarm backhand serve is the most basic badminton serve that you can practice as
a beginner because it gives you easier control in terms of how strong you’ll hit the shuttle and
where you will make the shuttle go in terms of height or placement on the court. By learning
how to utilize this serve, you can already start to strategize where you place your serve
depending on your opponent. To start, have a ready stance with your backhand leg slightly
forward with both feet pointing forward. Lift your racket up to so it is parallel to the floor, with
the head parallel to the net and aligned with your shoulder. Using your non-racket hand, hold the
shuttle cock by the feather about 5-6 inches in front of the center of the racket’s face. Bend the
wrist of your racket hand downward to generate momentum and flick upwards with varying
strength depending on how far or how high you want the shuttle cock to travel. Try to play
around with how strong you hit the shuttle and how high you follow through. Try to aim for
different spots in the court with this serve and you’ll immediately have the upper hand against
your opponents.