Badminton

Objective:
To reach a score of 21, 2 sets in a row accumulated by hitting the shuttlecock across the net into the
opponent’s half without them returning it.

Terminology
Rally- exchange of shots while the shuttle is in play.

Shuttlecock (Shuttle, bird, birdy) - official name for the object the players must hit.

Racquet (Racket) - the instrument used by the player to hit the shuttlecock.

Clear- A shot hit deep into your opponent’s boundary line

Drop shot – A shot that clears the net and drops in the front court

Smash – Low and downwards directed shot

Match - A series of games played to determine a winner.

Diagram of Court:

Starting a Game:
To start a game, the team receiving first serve must be determined. To do so, a player may flip a coin for
sides, spin a racket to see who the head points to or hit a shuttlecock up and see which end the base
points to. The selected team will then receive the choice of receiving or serving.

Serving:
Serves must be diagonal to the server and servers must contact the shuttlecock below their waist. In
addition, serves must pass the short service line and not exceed the long service line. The serving range
for singles players is the singles line to the sides, the short service line in the front and the back boundary
line. The serving range for doubles games is short and fat, or the doubles side lines, short service line in
front and the long service line .76 meters in front of the back boundary line.

If a serve is won, the server switches sides with his or her partner and serves again. If the serve is lost,
the serve switches to the opponent. If the team’s score is even, they must serve from the right. If the
team’s score is odd, they must serve from the left side of the court.

Scoring:
The scoring used today in badminton is rally point to allow smoother, faster games. In rally point scoring,
a point is scored every time the other team commits a fault or loses a rally. The rally officially ends when
the shuttle touches the floor, and the opposite side to where the bird landed receives 1 point. Faults such
as hitting the ceiling also win 1 point. To win a match, you must win best out of 3 games. Each mini game
goes to 21 points.

Faults:
Faults are actions which are punished by giving 1 point to the other team. Faults can occur during serves
or during rally play. Some commons serving faults include raising racket above hand/waist during serve,
not hitting the bird cross the net or into the proper court, feet of players not contacting the floor, and the
players outside their proper court during serve. Some other faults occurring during rally are the shuttle
failing to go over the net or hitting any permanent fixture, the bird failing to land within boundary lines,
hitting the bird before it crosses the net, touching the net while shuttle is in play, touching or hitting the
bird twice before it crosses net and distracting or inappropriate behaviour.

Basic shots used in a Game

Short serve
- Used mostly in doubles games.
- The bird just barely clears the net and lands pretty close to the serve line on the outside of the
net.
- The head of your racquet must stay below the waist and below the wrist.

Long serve
- Used mostly by singles players
- The birdy is served far into the court.
- It is similar to the short serve, but at the end you your the wrist and send the bird high and deep.
- Used to trick your opponent if they are close to the net

Drop shot
- You drop the birdy just barely over the net
- You hit it with the upper part of your racket, and do not follow through
- This is used for the opponent is far in the court

Smash
- The birdy goes down on an angle to the ground
- You hit the birdy high in the air (over your hitting shoulder) and follow through
- The birdy is driven down quickly, clearing the opposition