Introduction: Badminton Rules and Fundamentals
In Badminton Rules and Fundamentals, Dicas Educação Física has prepared content on the main rules and fundamentals of Badminton. You’ll find out what Badminton is, how to play Badminton and other details about this sport that is gaining more and more fans in Brazil.
The Rules of Badminton
The Badminton Court
The size of the official badminton court is 13.40 meters long. The width of the court measures 5.18 for singles and 6.10 for doubles.
There must be a minimum space between the badminton court and the walls surrounding it of 1 meter at the sides and 1.5 meters at the back.
Badminton can be played outdoors, but this is not ideal, as the wind can influence the trajectory of the shuttlecock. Badminton should ideally be played indoors.
The Badminton Court Net
According to the Badminton Rules, the height of the badminton net is 1.55 meters from the ground of the court. See the image below about the badminton net.
Before the badminton game starts: draw of lots
Before the start of a badminton match, a draw must take place, with the winner choosing whether to serve, receive the serve or choose which side of the court to start on. In addition to the draw, before the game begins badminton players are entitled to a two-minute warm-up.
Position on the court to start a Game
The server must stand in the service area of the badminton court on the right-hand side. Their opponent, who is to receive the serve, must also stand in the service area, on the right-hand side of their court, forming a diagonal with the server.
Badminton server positioning
Pay close attention to this rule! When the server’s score is even, the server must serve from the right side of the court. If the server’s score is odd, the server must serve from the left side of the court.
“In doubles play the same rule must be followed. The player who is going to serve remains serving as long as he or his partner wins the rally.”
The execution of the serve in badminton
Just as in tennis and table tennis, the serve in badminton must be diagonally across the court.
Other badminton rules that must be followed when serving are:
- It is compulsory for the serve to be made by hitting the shuttlecock from bottom to top;
- the shuttlecock must not be above the server’s waist line at the moment the service is played;
- the server must not lose contact between the feet and the floor of the court when executing the serve;
- if the server or the server’s partner has won the Rally (won the point), the server must change sides of the court and continue serving;
- as mentioned above, the first serve of a game in badminton is always played on the right side of the court.
Drawing from the wrong side
If in a Badminton match the serve is taken from the wrong side of the court, play must not be stopped. The match continues and the players must not change sides in the service area at the time of the next serve.
It’s considered a Foul in Badminton
- touching the net with the body or racket while the shuttlecock is in play;
- when the shuttlecock touches the player’s body, the roof of the court or any object outside the court
- when the shuttlecock falls outside the court boundary line
- invade the opponent’s court or hit the shuttlecock that is in the opponent’s court space
- hit the shuttlecock more than once
- when there is misbehavior or the player intentionally delays the game, he loses the right to serve or the point is awarded to the opponent
- in a doubles game, when the partner of the serve receiver receives the serve
- when the server misses the shuttlecock on the serve
ATTENTION!
If at the moment of the service the shuttlecock touches the net and lands on the opponent’s court, the service is valid, as long as the shuttlecock lands within the service area of the opponent’s court.
Who starts serving in the second game?
The player or pair who wins the first Game will change sides of the court and start serving in the second Game. The player or pair who wins the second game will change sides of the court and start serving in the third game. In the third game there will be a change of side of the court on the eleventh point of the game.
How to win a Badminton match?
A Badminton match is played in Games or sets of 21 points. The player or pair who wins two games first wins the match. To win a game, you need to take a two-point lead, i.e. if the game is tied at 20-20, the game will be extended until one side manages to take a two-point lead. However, the maximum score limit in a Badminton game is 30 points. If the score is tied at 29-29, the match will be won by whoever scores 30 points, without the need to take a two-point lead.
Technical Time
The Badminton Rules establish a technical time-out of one minute in each Game every time a player or pair reaches 11 points. Breaks between games last 2 minutes.
Read also Badminton History at a Glance
Badminton Fundamentals
What is Badminton?
Badminton is an Olympic sport that is very popular on the Asian continent. Badminton has some similarities to tennis, but instead of a ball you use a shuttlecock to play badminton.
What are the Badminton Fundamentals?
Badminton fundamentals are the most important parts of the game, the movements and strokes used by badminton players. The basic fundamentals of badminton are eight: the serve, the grip, the clear, the drop or drop-shot, the smash, the drive, the lob and the net-shot or net-drop.
Badminton racket handle
The correct grip of the badminton racket is made by holding the racket as if you were shaking someone’s hand. The wrist joint plays a very important role in badminton. Unlike in tennis, where the wrist remains rigid, in badminton the wrist must be loose in order to hit the ball.
The Difference Between Forehand and Backhand in Badminton
The forehand is when the badminton player hits the shuttlecock with the palm of the hand facing forward or towards the badminton net. The Backhand is when the badminton player hits the shuttlecock with the “back” of the hand facing forward, towards the net.
Almost all of Badminton’s strokes or fundamentals can be performed from the forehand or backhand.
The serve in Badminton
The serve in badminton, also called the service, must be made in a diagonal trajectory, i.e. a cross trajectory. There is a space on the badminton court, called the service area, where the serves must be made.
There are a few rules that the server must follow in badminton:
a) keeping both feet or part of them on the ground in an immobile position;
b) hit the base of the shuttlecock first;
c) hit the shuttlecock below the waist line;
d) touch the shuttlecock below the line of the hand holding the racket;
e) don’t deceive the opponent; you have to keep the racket moving continuously.
Clear in Badminton
The clear is a basically defensive stroke, one of the most basic fundamentals of badminton. It occurs when the shuttlecock is above and in front of the badminton player’s head and he hits it with his racket towards the back of his opponents’ court.
Although it is most often used in defense, Clear can also be used to attack. This happens when the player realizes that his opponent is positioned waiting for another type of blow. In this way, the player surprises his opponent, who doesn’t have time to reorganize himself on the court to make a proper save.
The Badminton Drop
The Drop is an attacking stroke in Badminton, the aim of which is to throw the shuttlecock very close to the net, making it difficult for your opponent to defend. The speed of the hit can vary, but if the player manages to be quick, it will be difficult for the opponent to reorganize to make the save.
The Badminton Smash
The smash is the fastest and most important attack in badminton. It is executed by striking the shuttlecock with precision and force, from top to bottom, like a volleyball slice. The smash can be performed with or without a jump, depending on the height of the shuttlecock at the moment the strike is made.
The Drive in Badminton
The Drive is a stroke performed when the shuttlecock is at half height, more or less at the height of the badminton player’s shoulders. It is executed as if the player were “whipping” the shuttlecock. Most commonly used in doubles matches, the intention of the drive is to throw the shuttlecock into an “uncovered” spot on the opponent’s court.
Lob in Badminton
Lob is used in badminton when the shuttlecock is thrown very close to the net. To defend himself, the badminton player hits the shuttlecock from bottom to top, so that it gains height and falls to the back of the opponent’s court in a parabolic trajectory.
The difference between the Lob and the Clear is that the Lob is executed from bottom to top and the shuttlecock must gain height, unlike the Clear, which is a straight shot.
The fundamental characteristics of a good Lob are good height, good depth and good recomposition on the court after the hit.
The net-shot in badminton
Like Lob, Net-shot is one of the Badminton fundamentals used when the shuttlecock is thrown close to the net. The difference between them is that in the Net-shot the aim is to return the ball close to the net, making it difficult for the opponent to defend. Another difference between Net-shots and Lob is that Net-shots can be performed by hitting the shuttlecock from both bottom to top and top to bottom.
After a net-shot, it is important that the badminton player recovers his position on the court quickly, as the opponent’s counter-attack tends to be swift.
“Net-Shot is also called Net-Drop.”
Want to know more about badminton?
- VIDEO: Badminton Rules and Fundamentals
- The Technical Fundamentals of Badminton
- The History of Badminton
- How to Play Badminton (for beginners)