Badminton is a popular racquet sport that can be played both indoors and outdoors. It can be played with either two players (singles) or four players (doubles). The objective of the game is to hit the shuttlecock over the net and onto the ground on your opponent’s side of the court.
In order to play badminton, you will need a few things:
- a net - placed in the middle of the court and should be 5.1' tall
- badminton rackets - lightweight and has a stringed face
- a shuttlecock - typically made of feathers and has a circular base
Badminton Rules
The basic rules of badminton are simple: hit the shuttlecock over the net and onto the ground on your opponent’s side of the court. Points are scored when your opponent is not able to return the shuttlecock back over the net, when they hit it out of bounds, or when they hit it into the net. A game is typically played until one player reaches 21 points.
Here are a few other things to keep in mind while playing badminton:
- The shuttlecock can only be hit once per side. This means that if you hit it over the net, your opponent can hit it back to you, but you cannot hit it again until they have hit it first.
- When serving, you must keep your feet inside the boundary lines at all times.
- If the shuttlecock hits the floor on your side of the court, then it’s considered a “fault” and your opponent will receive a point.
- In doubles games, players can take turns serving, but each player can only serve twice before passing off to their partner.
- In singles games, players must alternate serving after each point is scored; in doubles games, however, each team can decide who will serve next.
- If you are playing doubles, then you must stay within your respective service areas while serving.
Ready to start playing? Follow these tips for beginner badminton players:
- Use an underhanded grip when hitting low shots so that you have more control over where the shuttlecock goes.
- When hitting forehand strokes, swing your arm in an upward motion as if you were doing a backhand stroke (this will help generate more power behind your shot).
- Use an overhand grip to increase power when hitting overhead shots; remember to snap your wrist at impact for even more power!
Whether you’re playing singles or doubles with friends, badminton is a great way to get active and have some fun. Now that you know the very basics and what some of the rules are, grab a racket and start practicing! Who knows, maybe you’ll even become a pro!
Please feel free to check out our other Badminton articles:
