Badminton World | Badminton Equipment | Badminton Rules

SERVICE COURT ERRORS

2006-07-29T09:58:00.000+07:00

12. SERVICE COURT ERRORS

12.1 A service court error has been made when a player:

12.1.1 has served out of turn;

12.1.2 has served from the wrong service court; or

12.1.3 standing in the wrong service court, was prepared to receive the service and it has been delivered.

12.2 If a service court error is discovered before the next service is delivered:

12.2.1 if one side made the error and won the rally, it shall be a ‘let’;

12.2.2 if one side made the error and lost the rally, the error shall not be corrected;

12.2.3 if both sides made an error, it shall be a ‘let’.

12.3 If there is a ‘let’ because of a service court error, the rally shall be replayed with the error corrected.

12.4 If a service court error is discovered after the next service has been delivered, the error shall not be corrected and the play in that game shall proceed without changing the players’ new service courts (nor, when relevant, the new order of serving).

DOUBLES

2006-07-29T09:57:00.000+07:00

11. DOUBLES

11.1 At the start of a game, and each time a side gains the right to serve, the service shall be delivered from the right service court.

11.2 Only the receiver shall return the service: should the shuttle touch or be hit by the receiver’s partner, it shall be a ‘fault’ and the serving side scores a point.

11.3 Order of play and position on court

11.3.1 After the service is returned, the shuttle may be hit by either player of the serving side and then by either player of the receiving side, and so on, until the shuttle ceases to be in play.

11.3.2 After the service is returned, a player may hit the shuttle from any position on that player’s side of the net.

11.4 Serving and receiving courts

11.4.1 The player who serves at the start of any game shall serve from, or receive in, the right service court when that player’s side has not scored or has scored an even number of points in that game, and the left service court when that player’s side has scored an odd number of points in that game.

11.4.2 The player who receives at the start of any game shall receive in, or serve from, the right service court when that player’s side has not scored or has scored an even number of points in that game, and the left service court when that player’s side has scored an odd number of points in that game.

11.4.3 The reverse pattern shall apply to the partners.

11.5 Scoring and serving

11.5.1 If the receiving side makes a ‘fault’ or the shuttle ceases to be in play because it touches the surface of the court inside the receiving side’s court, the serving side scores a point and the server serves again.

11.5.2 If the serving side makes a ‘fault’ or the shuttle ceases to be in play because it touches the surface of the court inside the serving side’s court, the server loses the right to continue serving, with no point scored by either side.

11.6 Service in any turn of serving shall be delivered from alternate service courts, except as provided in Laws 12 and 14.

Laws – RTCO

11.7 In any game, the right to serve passes consecutively from the initial server to the initial receiver, then to that initial receiver’s partner, then to the opponent who is due to serve from the right service court (Law 11.4), then to that player’s partner, and so on.

11.8 No player shall serve out of turn, receive out of turn, or receive two consecutive services in the same game, except as provided in Laws 12 and 14.

11.9 Either player of the winning side may serve first in the next game, and either player of the losing side may receive.

SINGLES

2006-07-29T09:55:00.000+07:00

10. SINGLES

10.1 Serving and receiving courts

10.1.1 The players shall serve from, and receive in, their respective right service courts when the server has not scored or has scored an even number of points in that game.

10.1.2 The players shall serve from, and receive in, their respective left service courts when the server has scored an odd number of points in that game.

10.2 The shuttle is hit alternately by the server and the receiver until a ‘fault’ is made or the shuttle ceases to be in play.

10.3 Scoring and serving

10.3.1 If the receiver makes a ‘fault’ or the shuttle ceases to be in play because it touches the surface of the court inside the receiver’s court, the server scores a point. The server then serves again from the alternate service court.

10.3.2 If the server makes a ‘fault’ or the shuttle ceases to be in play because it touches the surface of the court inside the server’s court, the server loses the right to continue serving and the receiver then becomes the server, with no point scored by either player.

CHANGE OF ENDS

2006-07-29T09:48:00.000+07:00

8. CHANGE OF ENDS

8.1 Players shall change ends:

8.1.1 at the end of the first game;

8.1.2 prior to the beginning of the third game (if any); and

8.1.3 in the third game, or in a match of one game, when a side first scores:

– 6 in a game of 11 points; or

– 8 in a game of 15 points.

8.2 If players omit to change ends as indicated in Law 8.1, they shall do so as soon as the mistake is discovered and the shuttle is not in play. The existing score shall stand.

SCORING SYSTEM

2006-07-29T09:46:00.000+07:00

7. SCORING SYSTEM

7.1 A match shall consist of the best of three games, unless otherwise arranged.

7.2 In doubles and men’s singles a game is won by the first side to score 15 points, except as provided in Law 7.5.

7.3 In women’s singles a game is won by the first side to score 11 points, except as provided in Law 7.5.

7.4 Only the serving side can add a point to its score (see Law 10.3 or 11.5).

7.5 If the score becomes 14-all (10-all in women’s singles), the side which first scored 14 (10) shall choose either Law 7.5.1 or 7.5.2:

7.5.1 to continue the game to 15 (11) points, ie not to ‘set’ the game; or

7.5.2 to ‘set’ the game to 17 (13) points.

7.6 The side winning a game serves first in the next game.

TOSS

2006-07-23T07:58:00.000+07:00

6. TOSS

6.1 Before play commences, a toss shall be conducted and the side winning the toss shall exercise the choice in either Law 6.1.1 or 6.1.2:

6.1.1 to serve or receive first;

6.1.2 to start play at one end of the court or the other.

6.2 The side losing the toss shall then exercise the remaining choice.

EQUIPMENT COMPLIANCE

2006-07-21T13:16:00.000+07:00

5. EQUIPMENT COMPLIANCE

The International Badminton Federation shall rule on any question of whether any racket, shuttle or equipment or any prototype used in the playing of badminton complies with the specifications. Such ruling may be undertaken on the Federation’s initiative or on application by any party with a bona fide interest, including any player, court official, equipment manufacturer or Member Association or member thereof.

RACKET

2006-07-21T13:05:00.000+07:00

4. RACKET

4.1 The racket shall be a frame not exceeding 680 mm in overall length and 230 mm in overall width consisting of the main parts described in Laws 4.1.1 to 4.1.5 as illustrated in Diagram C.

4.1.1 The handle is the part of the racket intended to be gripped by the player.

4.1.2 The stringed area is the part of the racket with which it is intended the player hits the shuttle.

4.1.3 The head bounds the stringed area.

4.1.4 The shaft connects the handle to the head (subject to Law 4.1.5).

4.1.5 The throat (if present) connects the shaft to the head.

4.2 The stringed area:

4.2.1 shall be flat and consist of a pattern of crossed strings either alternately interlaced or bonded where they cross. The stringing pattern shall be generally uniform and, in particular, not less dense in the centre than in any other area; and

4.2.2 shall not exceed 280 mm in overall length and 220 mm in overall width. However, the strings may extend into an area which otherwise would be the throat, provided that the width of the extended stringed area does not exceed 35 mm and provided that the overall length of the stringed area does not then exceed 330 mm.

4.3 The racket:

4.3.1 shall be free of attached objects and protrusions, other than those used solely and specifically to limit or prevent wear and tear, or vibration, or to distribute weight, or to secure the handle by cord to the player’s hand, and which are reasonable in size and placement for such purposes; and

4.3.2 shall be free of any device that makes it possible for a player to change materially the shape of the racket.

SHUTTLE

2006-07-20T16:59:00.000+07:00

2. SHUTTLE

2.1 The shuttle shall be made from natural and/or synthetic materials. From whatever material the shuttle is made, the flight characteristics generally shall be similar to those produced by a natural feathered shuttle with a cork base covered by a thin layer of leather.

2.2 The shuttle shall have 16 feathers fixed in the base.

2.3 The feathers shall have a uniform length between 62 mm to 70 mm when measured from the tip to the top of the base.

2.4 The tips of the feathers shall lie on a circle with a diameter from 58 mm to 68 mm.

2.5 The feathers shall be fastened firmly with thread or other suitable material.

2.6 The base shall be 25 mm to 28 mm in diameter and rounded on the bottom.

2.7 The shuttle shall weigh from 4.74 to 5.50 grams.

2.8 Non-Feathered Shuttle

2.8.1 The skirt, or simulation of feathers in synthetic materials, replaces natural feathers.

2.8.2 The base is described in Law 2.6.

2.8.3 Measurements and weight shall be as in Laws 2.3, 2.4 and 2.7. However, because of the difference in the specific gravity and other properties of synthetic materials in comparison with feathers, a variation of up to 10 per cent is acceptable.

2.9 Subject to there being no variation in the general design, speed and flight of the shuttle, modifications in the above specifications may be made with the approval of the Member Association concerned, in places where atmospheric conditions due to either altitude or climate make the standard shuttle unsuitable.

3. TESTING A SHUTTLE FOR SPEED

3.1 To test a shuttle, use a full underhand stroke which makes contact with the shuttle over the back boundary line. The shuttle shall be hit at an upward angle and in a direction parallel to the side lines.

3.2 A shuttle of correct speed will land not less than 530 mm and not more than 990 mm short of the other back boundary line as in Diagram B.

COURT AND COURT EQUIPMENT

2006-07-19T10:27:00.000+07:00

1. COURT AND COURT EQUIPMENT

1.1 The court shall be a rectangle laid out with lines 40 mm wide as in Diagram A.

1.2 The lines shall be easily distinguishable and preferably be coloured white or yellow.

1.3 All lines form part of the area which they define.

1.4 The posts shall be 1.55 metres in height from the surface of the court and shall remain vertical when the net is strained as provided in Law 1.10. Posts shall not extend into the court. [Until 1 August 2004, the limitation on extensions into the court will apply only to IBF-sanctioned events].

1.5 The posts shall be placed on the doubles side lines as in Diagram A irrespective of whether singles or doubles is being played.

1.6 The net shall be made of fine cord of dark colour and even thickness with a mesh of not less than l5 mm and not more than 20 mm.

1.7 The net shall be 760 mm in depth and at least 6.1 metres wide.

1.8 The top of the net shall be edged with a 75 mm white cloth tape doubled over a cord or cable running through the tape. This tape shall rest upon the cord or cable.

1.9 The cord or cable shall be stretched firmly, flush with the top of the posts.

1.10 The top of the net from the surface of the court shall be 1.524 metres at the centre of the court and 1.55 metres over the side lines for doubles.

1.11 There shall be no gaps between the ends of the net and the posts. If necessary, the full depth of the net at the ends shall be tied to the posts.

Laws of Badminton

2006-07-19T10:12:00.000+07:00

LAWS OF BADMINTON

(as from 1 August 2002)

DEFINITIONS

Player Any person playing badminton

Match The basic contest in badminton between opposing sides each of one or two players

Singles A match where there is one player on each of the opposing sides

Doubles A match where there are two players on each of the opposing sides

Serving side The side having the right to serve

Receiving side The side opposing the serving side

Rally A sequence of one or more strokes starting with the service, until the shuttle ceases to be in play

Techniques introduction

2006-06-28T16:17:00.000+07:00

Techniques introduction
Written by kwun
Thursday, 10 June 2004

Badminton is one of the most well known games in the world. However, it is not well known that, at a competitive level, badminton demands many qualities from the shuttler: speed, strength, agility, stamina, skills, accuracy, smartness, mental power and team work.

The badminton shuttle has been clocked at excess of 180mph. To strike the shuttle at that speed requires enormous skill and power (power = strength * speed), gathering the strength of many muscles in the human body to choreograph a thundering smash. At the other end, returning the smash requires quick response and agility. A slight misjudgement will result in losing the point.

A badminton game can last up to 2 hours where most of the time the players are sprinting from corner to corner in the court while hitting the shuttle with amazing speed and accuracy. Such is the result of many years of rigorous and torturous training.

Great techniques and physical fitness alone is not enough to win a badminton game, a successful player must play smart. Using quick thinking to adapt his/her play to the opponents tactics and weaknesses. Using varying speed and position and deceptive plays to earn a edge over the opponent. In the court, the players are left to their own, help is not available from anyone. The player must maintain high concentration and will power, the game hasn't ended if the scoreboard doesn't say 15.

While single games demand great stamina from the player, double games demand team work and cooperation between the two players. In a doubles game, in addition to thundering attacks and swift defense, one often see quick drives attempting to penetrate and dissolve the coordinating opponent. Any miscommunication between the players may result in gap in the defense.

Taufik Hidayat, Fanny, and Excel

2006-06-19T12:40:00.000+07:00

After a week, i guessing why the mother of excel, who claim the boy is son of taufik. Yesterday one of television broadcasting in my city show Fanny's face. Well, its not a full face only half, so you just can see her nose and mouth. In there she said that excel is very miss taufik, he want to meet taufik. And in dialogue with Fanny via telephone, she said that she hope Taufik want to be gentleaman and say that excel is realy his boy..

Oh... this is confusing, why that girl just said that things when the child grow up. Where is she when she pregnant? can't he tell the pers? Or there are something beside this? Somehow...... Must be god know that...

Badminton Strokes

2006-06-16T07:59:00.000+07:00

Strokes/shots

There are many types of shots in badminton, the most basic of which are described as follows:

Clear: Hit overhead from the backcourt to the opponents backcourt. The aim is to hit the shuttle up. It is useful for producing time for the player, so that he can recover more easily. Used stragetically to push the opponent backwards.

Smash: Hit overhead from anywhere behind the forecourt. The aim is to hit the shuttle down as hard and fast as possible, as it clearly wins the rally if the shuttle touches the floor.

Drop shot: Hit overhead from the backcourt to the opponents forecourt. The aim is to make the shuttle just pass the net. Stragetically used to bring the opponent foreward.

Drive: Hit in front or on the side of the body, aiming to keep the shuttle low but going to the backcourt.

Lift: Hit in front of the body near the net. The aim is to "lift" the shuttle to the rearcourt. Similar to a lob in tennis. Also used to push an opponent to the backcourt.

Netshot: Hit in front of the body near the net. The aim is to hit the shuttle just past the net . Used to bring the opponent to the forecourt.

Badminton Strategy

2006-06-16T07:57:00.000+07:00

Strategy

To win in badminton, players need to employ a wide variety of strokes in the right situations. These range from extraordinarily powerful jumping smashes to soft, delicate tumbling net returns. The smash is a powerful overhead stroke played steeply downwards into the middle or rear of the opponents' court; it is similar to a tennis serve, but much faster: the shuttlecock can travel at 300km/h (186 mph). This is a very effective stroke, and pleases the crowds, but smashing is only one part of the game. Often rallies finish with a smash, but setting up the smash requires subtler strokes. For example, a netshot can force the opponent to lift the shuttle, which gives an opportunity to smash. If the netshot is tight and tumbling, then the opponent's lift will not reach the back of the court, which makes the subsequent smash much harder to return. Smash often make you tired quickly. So use it carefully.

Deception is also important. Expert players make the preparation for many different strokes look identical, so that their opponents cannot guess which stroke will be played. For many strokes, the shuttlecock can be sliced to change its direction; this allows a player to move his racket in a different direction to the trajectory of the shuttlecock. If an opponent tries to anticipate the stroke, he will move in the wrong direction and may be unable to change his body momentum in time to reach the shuttlecock. Most common deception is a movement that looks like you will smash a cock but in fact you clear the cock or just drop it.

Doubles: In doubles, each side has two players. Both sides will try to gain and maintain the attack, hitting downwards as much as possible. Usually one player will strive to stay at the back of the court and the other at the front, which is an optimal attacking position: the back player will smash and occasionally drop the shuttlecock to the net, and the front player will try to intercept any flat returns or returns to the net. Typical play involves hitting the shuttle in a trajectory as low and flat as possible, to avoid giving away the attack. A side that hits a high shot must prepare for a smash and retreat to a side-by-side defensive position, with each player covering half of the court. The first serve is usually a low serve to force the other side to lift the shuttle. A "flick serve", in which the player will pretend to serve low but hit it high to catch the receiver off-guard, is sporadically used throughout the game. Doubles is a game of speed, aggression, and agility.

Singles: Players will serve high to the far back end of the court, although at the international level low serves are now frequently used as well. The singles court is narrower than the doubles court, but the same length. Since one person needs to cover the entire court, singles tactics are based on forcing the opponent to move as much as possible; this means that singles shots are normally directed to the corners of the court. The depth of the court is exploited by combining clears (high shots to the back) with drops (soft downwards shots to the front). Smashing is less prominent in singles than in doubles because players are rarely in the ideal position to execute a smash, and smashing out of position leaves the smasher very vulnerable if the shot is returned. At high levels of play, singles demands extraordinary fitness. It is a game of patient tactical play, unlike the all-out aggression of doubles.

Mixed doubles: In this discipline, a man and a woman play as a doubles pair. Mixed doubles is similar to "level" doubles (where pairs are of the same gender. In mixed doubles, both pairs try to maintain an attacking formation with the woman at the front and the man at the back. This is because the male players are substantially stronger, and can therefore produce more powerful smashes. As a result, mixed doubles requires greater tactical awareness and subtler positional play. Clever opponents will try to reverse the ideal position, by forcing the woman towards the back or the man towards the front. In order to protect against this danger, mixed players must be careful and systematic in their shot selection.

2006-06-16T07:56:00.001+07:00

Faults

When players commit a fault, they lose the rally. The most common fault is for a player to fail to return the shuttle before it hits the floor, or to return it so that it lands out of court. It is also a fault if the shuttle touches the person or dress of a player, or in doubles if both players hit the shuttle.

At lower levels of play, players often commit service faults without realizing. For example, see rules on service, above.

Lets

If a let is called, the rally is restarted. Lets are rare in professional play; they occur whenever some unexpected circumstance arises that interferes with the rally. For example, a let is called if the shuttle passes over the net and then becomes entangled in the net (except on service, when this is deemed a fault).

2006-06-16T07:56:00.000+07:00

Rally Points

In December 2005 the International Badminton Federation started Rally points system for IBF events. The new system incorporates rally point scoring; a point can be won by the serving and receiving player or pair. In the traditional system only the serving player or pair could win a point. Under the new system games are played to 21 points, also for women's singles. A difference of 2 points is needed, up until 29-29, where the first player or pair to reach 30 wins. In doubles there is no second server anymore under the new system. When the serving pair loses a rally the serve passes immediately to the other pair. Pairs only switch service courts when they won a point while serving. If the pair who has won right to serve has an even score, the player in the right service court will serve, if the score is uneven the player in the left service court will serve.

Besides the new scoring system also has a rule change concerning breaks during a match. When a side reaches 11 points, both sides get a 60 second break. Between first and second game, as well as between second and third game, players receive a 2-minute break.

2006-06-16T07:55:00.000+07:00

Service

The serve must be in an upward direction, to land in the diagonally opposite service court. At the moment of impact on service, the shuttle must be below the waist, and the whole of the racket head must be below the hand holding the racket. These rules are designed to limit the attacking options of the server. A point is only added to the score on service. Unlike tennis, there is no "let" on service if the shuttle hits the tape.

At the start of a doubles game, the first side to serve will only continue serving until they lose a rally. After that, the serve will pass to the opponents, and for the remainder of the game both members of a serving pair will have an opportunity to serve. A server must change service courts after each rally won, so that he serves to the other opponent. The receiving pair, however, will not vary their positions in this way. When a pair have just regained the service, the first serve is always delivered by the player in the right-hand service court.

In singles each player has only one serve at a time; if the serve is lost, it passes to the opponent.

2006-06-16T07:52:00.000+07:00

The rules

At the start of a match, a coin is tossed. The side that wins the toss may choose whether to serve first, or may choose which end of the court to play on. The other side exercises the remaining choice. In less formal settings, the shuttle may be hit into the air to determine which side chooses between side and serve; the side the shuttle points to makes the decision.

Scoring

In traditional scoring points are only made by the serving team. (See "Experimental IBF Scoring" below for an alternative.) The first side to reach 15 points (or 11 for women's singles) is the winner and if the teams tie at 14-14 (or 10-10 for women) the team to reach that score first can decide whether to play to 17 (or to 13 for the women) - this is called "setting" the game.

A badminton match can be made up of any odd number of games (3 in official matches). The winner of the match is the first to win more than half the number of games (e.g. the first to win 2 games in a 3 game match).

Playing Badminton

2006-06-15T15:44:00.000+07:00

Playing Badminton

Each player or pair takes position on either side of a net on a rectangular court marked on the floor, as shown in the diagrams.

The object of the game is to hit a shuttlecock (normally shortened to "shuttle" or "cock"; more colloquially, "bird" or "birdie"), using a racquet, over the net onto the court within the marked boundaries before the opposing player or pair can hit it back.

Service point rule : For every time this is achieved by the team currently serving, the serving player or pair scores one point. After winning a point the same player serves again, and continues to serve as long as they continue to win points. If the non-serving team wins the rally, no point is scored but instead there is a change of server. In doubles, one server starts the game, and after losing a rally the serve switches to the opposing team. From then on, both players on a team take turns serving before the serve switches back to their opponents. The player on the right-hand serving side always begins the serving.

Rally point rule : ( now used by International Badminton Federation) Basicly same with service point rule, the difference is if the non-serving team wins the rally, they get a point and the serve switches to them. So also in doubles, when first server fails to deliver the bird or when non-serving team wins the rally then the opponent get the point and serve is switch to them. So there is no second serve.

Taufik Hidayat

2006-06-14T12:34:00.000+07:00

SPECULATION was rife in Indonesia and Singapore about the real reason behind Taufik Hidayat's withdrawal from the Aviva Open Singapore on Tuesday.
The Olympic and world champion had arrived in Singapore on Monday night.
The next morning, he was on a plane bound for home after complaining of a back injury he had suffered prior to last month's Thomas Cup.
However, Indonesian lifestyle tabloid Nova reported on Tuesday that a 26-year-old woman had come forward with her five-year-old son whom, she claims, was fathered by Taufik, the recent Indonesia Open champion.
The woman was not identified but observers speculated that the shuttler had returned to Indonesia to quell the allegation.
He married Armi Dianti Gumelar, daughter of Indonesia National Olympic Committee head Agum Gumelar, in February.
The wedding was a star-studded event, which saw Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice-President Jusuf Kalla acting as witnesses during the solemnisation.
Agum reportedly told Indonesian media on Tuesday that he did not believe the report.
'I don't want to comment on the report because its accuracy is under question,' he was quoted as saying by the Rakyat Merdeka tabloid.
Taufik could not be contacted yesterday.
Indonesia national coach Paulus Firman said that he had not heard anything about the rumours.
'But many people are jealous of him and may be making up stories,' he said.

2006-06-13T09:36:00.000+07:00

Aviva Open 2006 Badminton championship

SINGAPORE : Danish shuttler Peter Gade has beaten his compatriot Kenneth Jonassen 21-14, 21-10 to win the men's singles title at the Aviva Open Singapore 2006.

Gade totally dominated the match at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, attacking with smashes that were too hot to handle.

France's Pi Hongyan lifted the women's singles crown with a 22-20, 22-20 victory over the Netherlands' Mia Audina.

In the women's doubles final, China clinched a one-two finish when Yang Wei and Zhang Jiewen defeated Zhang Dan and Zhao Tingting 21-18, 21-18.

Indonesia's Flandy Limpele and Sigit Budiarto claimed the men's doubles prize, beating Danish pair Thomas Laybourn and Lars Paaske 21-8, 21-16.

And the mixed doubles final saw Indonesia's Nova Widianto and Lilyana Natsir beating England's Gail Emms and Nathan Robertson 21-16, 20-22, 23-21. - CNA /ct

By Wong Siew Ying, Channel NewsAsia

Taufik Hidayat and world championship

2006-06-13T09:12:00.000+07:00

Taufik Hidayat badminton world champions 2005, now got problem again. After his married with Ami Gumelar, now he is being rumored already have a boy name Exel with someone that until this time I've never see his face. I don't know if the rumour is true or just someone jokes. If its rumour is true why mother of that boy never talk directly in mass media. Or make a pers confrence..

Taufik now have everythings, beautiful wife, lot of money, and I believe there are so many people that jeaolus to him. And start to make bad news about him.. Well, I hope this rumour not true and Taufik can win again in next world championship in spain, September 2006...

Badminton History

2006-06-11T06:44:00.000+07:00

Badminton History

An early ancestor of the game may have been the Chinese game of jianzi which involves using a shuttlecock but no racquet. Instead the object was manipulated with the feet. The object of the game is to keep the shuttlecock from touching the ground as long as possible without using the hands.

In England since medieval times a children's game called Battledores and Shuttlecocks was popular. Children would use paddles (Battledores) and work together to keep the Shuttlecock up in the air and prevent it from reaching the ground. It was popular enough to be a nuisance on the street of London in 1854 when the magazine Punch published the cartoon at right.

The British took the game to Japan, China and Siam as they colonised Asia, and it soon became a children's game there.

The competitive sport of badminton was invented by British Army officers in Pune, India in the 19th century when they added a net and played it competitively. As the city of Pune was formerly known as Poona, the game was also known as Poona at that time.

Soldiers brought the game back to England in the 1850s. The sport got its current name in 1860 in a pamphlet by Isaac Spratt, a London toy dealer, entitled "Badminton Battledore - a new game". This described the game as played at Badminton House, the Duke of Beaufort's estate in Gloucestershire, England.

The first official set of rules was written by the Bath Badminton Club in 1877. The Badminton Association of England was formed on September the 9th in 1893 at 6 Waverley Grove, Southsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. It was the world's first badminton association. The first international championship took place in 1899 with the All England Championships.

Badminton became a popular sport in the world, primarily in East Asia and Southeast Asia, which currently dominates the sport, and in the Scandinavian countries.

The International Badminton Federation (IBF) was established in 1934 and had England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Denmark, Holland, Canada, New Zealand and France as by founding members. India joined as an affiliate in 1936. In the Extraordinary General Meeting of December 2004, a proposal to move the IBF office from the UK to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia was tabled and subsequently approved amid heated discussion.

It became a Summer Olympics sport at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. Indonesia and Korea shared the gold medal with two each that year.

The IBF has been tinkering with the scoring system in an effort to commercialize the sport. A recent experiment of playing a match of 5 games of 7 points instead of the current 3 games of 15 points failed to garner the support of the fans, players and coaches after a year. The next experiment is to have 3 games of 21 points where every rally will result in a point being awarded (just like volleyball) which will debut in the next World Cup to be held in December 2005 in China. The experiment will last until May 2006, when the IBF General Meeting will decide if the rules of the experiment will become permanent.

Badminton -Equipment-

2006-06-10T14:12:00.000+07:00

Equipment

Badminton racquets

Racquet: Traditionally racquets were made of wood. Later on aluminium or other light metals became the material of choice. Now, almost all professional badminton racquets are composed of carbon fiber composite (graphite reinforced plastic), and even titanium composites. Carbon fiber has an excellent strength to weight ratio, is stiff, and gives excellent kinetic energy transfer. However, some low-end models still use steel or aluminum for some or all of the racquet.

Grip: There are two types of grips: synthetic and cloth. Synthetic grips are tacky and so provide excellent friction but cannot absorb the sweat. Cloth grips are usually preferred as they are usually more comfortable and absorbent of sweat e.g. towel grip. However, they also wear out more quickly as a result. Therefore the best grip is usually dependent on personal choice.

String: Perhaps one of the most overlooked areas of badminton equipment is the string. Different types of string have different response properties. Durability generally varies with performance. Most strings are 21 gauge in thickness and strung at 18 to 30 lbf (80 to 130 newtons) of tension. Racquets strung at lower tensions (18 to 21 lbf or 80 to 95 N) generate greater power while racquets strung at higher tensions provide greater control (21 lbf, over 95 N). This is due to the trampolining effect - at lower tensions the shuttlecock can trampoline off, and the elastic recoil increases the power. Players' personal preferences play a strong role in string selection.

Other equipments
Shuttlecock: This has an open conical shape, with a rounded head at the apex of the cone traditionally made of cork and a skirt traditionally of sixteen overlapping goose feathers. The feather shuttle is fairly brittle and thus for economy reasons this has been replaced by the use of a plastic (usually nylon) or rubber head and a plastic (usually nylon) skirt. The response to a shot is different with a plastic and a feather shuttle and even though plastics are improving the professional game still uses feather shuttles

Shoes: Become the most important equipment in badminton. Because acceleration across the court is so important, players need excellent grip with the floor at all times. Badminton shoes need a gum sole for good grip, reinforced side walls (lateral support) for durability during drags, and shock dispersion technology for jumping; badminton places a lot of stress on the knees and ankles. They are also light as most sports shoes are. If you playing badiminton without using any shoes (barefoot) you will seriously injure your foot.

The Japanese manufacturer Yonex dominates the badminton equipment market, making racquets, shoes, and everything in between. However there are many other brands on the market including Carlton, Wilson, Blackknight, Gosen, Hi-Qua and Prince.

Badminton -The Court-

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The service court

One decides between two service courts. There is the service court for singles, which is 5.18 meters (17 feet) wide by 13.40 meters (44 feet) long and the service court for doubles is 6.10 meters (20 feet) wide by 11.88 meters (39 feet) long. The service court is divided in two parts. In the middle of the court there is a net, which is 1.55 meters (5 feet) high at the side,and 1.5 meters in the middle. The short service lines go away 1.98 meters (6 feet, 6 inches) from the net. Left service court and right service court are divided by the center line.

Badminton -General Description-

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Badminton General Description

Badminton is a racket sport played by either two opposing players (singles) or two opposing pairs (doubles).

Players at opposite ends of the court aim to hit a shuttlecock, more informally called a shuttle, bird or birdie, over the net so that it lands inside the marked boundaries of the court, and aim to prevent their opponents from doing the same. Unlike a tennis ball, the shuttlecock flies with a lot of drag, and will not bounce significantly. The shuttlecock is always volleyed, and a rally ends as soon as it touches the ground.

Shuttles are made either from feathers or nylon. Badminton racquets have long shafts, to make it easier to impart a great deal of momentum to overcome the drag. The racquets are also much lighter than tennis racquets, because the shuttlecock is light. Badminton is the fastest racquet sport in the world with shuttles reaching speeds of up to 200 mph. Badminton champion Fu Haifeng of China set the official world smash record on June 3, 2005. The actual shuttlecock speed was measured at 332 km/h or 206 mph, faster than the Eurostar train.

Badminton is often compared to tennis. The rallies of each point tend to be much longer in badminton than in tennis. This is true even though winning a 'shutout' match in badminton requires only winning 42 points (21-0, 21-0, in a Men's Single match)(This is the newest rule set by the international badminton association, it called rally point! before that the scoring system use service point, the game end until one of player get 15 point) whereas in tennis it would require 72 points (6-0, 6-0, 6-0).The game can be physically more tiring than tennis as the time between shots can be much shorter. When a shot is played in tennis the whole of the arm is used in one sweeping action, whereas in badminton a wide range of motions is employed, from delicate flicks of wrist and pressing of fingers to full-body smashes and clears also movement of foot. Speed, reaction, and endurance are all important to being a successful badminton player. From a fitness perspective a close comparison can be made to squash which also has the same explosive starts.

As in tennis, there are typically five events: men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles (each pair is composed of one man and one woman). There are different tatics for this game, e.g mens singles and doubles.