badminton and its rules

Among the sports that require a racket to be executed is badminton, which is a discipline similar to tennis, but with its own regulations. Its practice began as a recreational activity for the people of the time, becoming, over time, an Olympic sport.

Badminton is a sport that originated in India and was quickly brought to England by officers belonging to the British Army. In 1890, this discipline became popular in the United States and Canada, which allowed five years later to establish the rules to be followed by the participants. 

In 1899, the first tournament aimed at the male category was held and in 1900 the female one. Both occurred in England, since it was in 1937 when the first American championship was held, after the creation of the North American Badminton Association the previous year.

But this is not all, the history of badminton continues years later, specifically in 1992, when it is incorporated as an Olympic sport, highlighting the individual and double modality for both women and men, as well as mixed double. All this, from the Olympics held in Barcelona that year. 

Furthermore, it is interesting to note that badminton is a sport in which Chinese, Korean and Indonesian athletes generally excel, winning a large number of medals.

How to play?

The discipline is part of racket sports, which is why many of the technical aspects of badminton are similar to those of tennis, for example. However, instead of using a ball, players use a shuttlecock with a specific design and structure that favors the performance of the different basic badminton strokes. 

In addition, it is played on a rectangular court sectioned by a mesh. Thus, the athletes must hit the shuttlecock with the racket so that it crosses the aforementioned net and falls on the ground of the area occupied by the opponent. In this way, it is possible to get an annotation.

All this dynamic carried out on the court is governed by rules of the game that involve the athlete’s clothing, the instruments to be used during the competition, the dimensions and conditions of the court, the service method, the annotations, among other aspects. treated in the regulations of the Badminton Federations.

badminton rules

To talk about the basic rules of badminton, we must remember that the discipline consists of three sets, with a dispute of 21 points each, with whoever wins two of the matches victorious . In addition, players must change sides on the court at the end of each of the sets. Likewise, the regulations incorporate the following guidelines for the development of the game:

Clothing

The clothing in badminton is characterized by being comfortable and light , generally made of flexible fabric and white: skirt for women and shorts for men, while, in the upper area, both use shirts that adapt to the body. without sacrificing proper mobility. In addition, the use of elastic bands on the head, wristbands and anklets is allowed.

With regard to batminton shoes, they will have to have reinforcements on the sides, to protect the foot from the powerful movements caused when moving. Likewise, the footwear must be light, so that it does not represent an extra weight on the foot, and the sole is preferred made of rubber, in order to achieve a secure grip on the ground.

Track and sports equipment

According to badminton regulations, the playing court must have a rectangular format whose width – length in individual matches corresponds to 5.18 x 13.4 meters, while in duet competitions it is 6.10 meters wide x 13. 40 meters long. 

In addition, according to the badminton rules, the lines on the court surface must comply with a thickness of exactly four centimeters and, with respect to the height of the badminton net, it must be 1.55 meters, the same as the poles that support it.

For its part, the racket for professional use usually has a weight that ranges between 75 and 90 grams, while the equipment used by beginner athletes weighs from 100 to 115 grams. Both structures have a size smaller than that of the tennis racket, which is between 225 and 300 grams.

Another component of the equipment is the steering wheel, also known as the nib. It is a hemispherical base made of cork, with a diameter of 2.8 centimeters and surrounded by 16 feathers six centimeters long. Said projectile must weigh 4.74 or 5.5 grams.

pull out

The serve in badminton has some rules which, if not followed, could result in a penalty. For example, the shuttle must be hit below the waist area and, at the moment of the hit, the handle of the racket will have to be directed downwards, that is, pointing towards the ground. In addition, both the person who performs the service and his receiver must be within the service lines arranged on the sides and without stepping on them.

In relation to badminton strokes when making a serve, the rules of the game mention that the athlete can choose between a ground serve, in which the movement is made above the head. 

Likewise, in badminton games the half court can be a jump shot or flat shot, if the person is at the level of the net. Finally, with the defense hit, the steering wheel can be lifted or blocked, depending on the applied game strategy.

Scoring a point

As expected, in the basic rules of badminton it is established that if the shuttlecock lands in the middle of the opposite court, it will get a point. However, there are other specific cases for a score to be recorded in favor of the opponent, for example: if the feather falls on the badminton court of the same player, goes under the net or hits outside the lines that limit the area of game.

Violations

In a badminton match, an infraction can lead to a red card and, in the worst case, the disqualification of the athlete. For example, it is considered an infraction if the shuttle is hit just before it has passed the net, when the player or his racket accidentally comes into contact with the net and at the moment the shuttle hits the opposing player or receiver.

With all these details in mind, now you can venture to start the practice of this discipline gradually. Also, do not hesitate to search for a coach or even more information about badminton with the help of the web, if necessary.