Badminton Basics

Using a shuttlecock (also called birdie), players try to hit the ball over the net. Badminton is played with two players on each side. A player who is defending will be at the back of the court while the attacking player will be nearer to the net. Players must have great speed and strength to win the game. Badminton is played outdoors and indoors. Some tournaments have mixed doubles, while other tournaments are singles-only. A team must score at least 21 points to win the match.

The name of the game comes from the back-and-forth “shuttle” of the play. Players should try to hit the shuttle instead of the opponent’s shot. The shuttle is made from a cork base with overlapping feathers. Nylon and plastic can be used instead of feathers. Most strings are 18 to 30 pounds. The strings are usually strung at 80 to 130 newtons of tension.

Players on the defending side will be trying to cover as much of the court as possible. The attacking players will be closer to the net and will try to hit smashes. The first player to hit a smash will try to knock the shuttle over the net. If the shuttle touches the ground, the rally will continue. If the opponent’s smash hits the shuttle, the rally will be lost.

There are three basic strokes: smash, push, and birdie. In each of these three strokes, a player must hit the shuttle in a low, flat trajectory. The shuttle can be blown off course by a slight breeze. The player must hit the shuttle once before it reaches the net. In addition, players may hit the shuttle in multiple directions.

Smash is a very powerful stroke. It travels at great speed into the opponent’s midcourt. The other player must intercept it. Often, the attacking player will hit a smash into the back of the opponent’s court. If the opponent hits the smash, the other player will try to intercept it. The smash is a powerful stroke that is played near the net. It is the most common form of stroke in the game.

Birdie, also called the shuttlecock, is a cone-shaped projectile that is projected at a steep angle towards the ground. The base of the birdie should be 25 to 28 millimeters in diameter. The shuttlecock is made of rubber cork. The shuttlecock’s feathers are often replaced with nylon or plastic.

There are five events in the game of badminton: singles, doubles, teams, singles and doubles. Each event has its own set of rules, but the basic strokes in all three events are the same. Each player has two service courts. If the player hits the shuttle over the net, the point is scored. In the case of a tie, the team with the highest score wins. If there is a tie on the scorecard, the winner of the next serve gets the point.

Often, doubles players will attack the court. The doubles court is the same size as the singles court, but has a wider area. The doubles service court uses the inside back line.