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In Badminton, players use a racquet to hit a shuttlecock back and forth over a net within a marked playing area. Players can only win points when serving, by making the shuttlecock hit the ground on their opponent’s side of the net, or by forcing a fault by the opponent. If the receiver wins the rally, he or she gains the opportunity to serve and thus win points. The server alternates in their use of the right-hand or left-hand service court. Women’s singles is played as the best of three 11-point games, but all other singles and doubles men’s, women’s and mixed matches are played as the best of three 15-point games. The winner of two games wins the match.
The service is the first stroke of any rally, and must be hit below the waist and travel diagonally across the court. It is usually hit either short, just within the nearside of the service box to force the opponent to return the shuttlecock upwards, or near the long service line - forcing the opponent to the back of the court and leaving the server more time to prepare for the return.
Because the shuttlecock can be hit at high speed, the rallies are usually relatively short. A key element of the game is being able to conceal shots until the last moment to keep the opponent from predicting the shuttlecock’s trajectory.
Equipment
The main equipment used is a racquet and a shuttlecock, a marked court which is marked with different service areas and sidelines for singles and doubles play, and a fine net mesh attached tautly to two posts dividing the length of the court.
The light, strong and rigid racquet is made from composite materials (usually carbon with either graphite or boron) and titanium based alloys with synthetic strings.
Shuttlecocks used in competitions are made of 14-16 goose feathers inserted and glued into a cork base. A piece of lead or a screw is sometimes added to stabilise the trajectory and correct variations in weight. Shuttlecocks are so light and fragile and are hit so hard that many are destroyed in a single high-level match. Therefore, other than top level games, more robust and less-expensive synthetic shuttlecocks are used.
History
Although Badminton was a very popular racquet sport in court circles in the 18th century, the game was officially only started in 1873 in the town of Badminton in England. Inspired by an Indian game called Poona, it spread rapidly - with publication of the rules by Colonel Selby in 1867. The English federation was founded in 1893 and the All England Championship, which has become one of the most prestigious tournaments in the international circuit, was first held in 1899. The further famous tournaments of the Thomas Cup for men and the Uber Cup for women were founded in 1948 and 1956 respectively. The International Badminton federation was founded in 1934. The Badminton World Championships have been held every two years since 1977. Badminton became an Olympic sport in 1992, after its status as a demonstration sport in 1972 and 1988.
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