Every sport has a set of rules that you need to abide by, and Badminton is no different. 

You need to understand and learn specific rules and regulations, even if you’re starting as a beginner. The rules include scoring, serving, differences between singles and doubles, common faults and lets. 

To give you an idea, 

In Badminton, you and your opponent hit the shuttlecock to and fro over the net in the middle of the court. As the shuttlecock hits the floor, a point is won. To win the game, the player keeps adding points to his score. The first player to reach 21 with a two-point lead wins the game. 

Note: You can only hit the shuttlecock once with your racquet; you cannot let it bounce on your side. 

Badminton Basics to Understand

As simple as the above-mentioned game basics sound, there are much more details to observe. 

But before we jump into the details, let’s understand the fundamentals of the game. 

Badminton is an indoor game that is played either between two people or four people. You require a racquet, a shuttlecock and a mesh net in the middle of the court. 

Both sides hit the shuttlecock using their racquet until one loses the opportunity to hit it back or accidentally hits the mesh net. The side that fails to hit the shuttlecock over the net onto the opposite side loses a point and vice versa. 

There are five distinguished categories in Badminton; 

  1. Men’s Single 
  2. Women’s Single 
  3. Men’s Doubles 
  4. Women’s Doubles 
  5. Mixed Doubles

Men’s Singles/Women’s Singles are always played with one player at each side of the court, similar to a one-on-one match. While Doubles are always played with two players at each side of the court, mixed doubles are played with two players (male & female) at each side of the court. 

  1. Scoring Points 

Before BWF introduced changes in 2006, scoring in Badminton wasn’t this easy. 

Badminton is rally point scoring, meaning that a player can score points regardless of the fact whose serve it is. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be the one who is performing. 

There is more than one way you can score a point. You can achieve an end by landing the shuttlecock on your opponent’s side, then you can gain an issue if your opponent cannot return the shuttlecock or plays fault by hitting the net. 

  1. Scoring A Game

A badminton game is won by scoring 21 points with a two-point lead. 

What if the score comes to 20-20, then what? 

Well, in that case, you have to be two clear points ahead of your opponent, even if the score goes up to 29-29. But after that, the player who scores the next point and reaches 30 first wins the match. 

In a full-length match, there is usually a best-of-three series to 21 score. After the end of each game, you switch sides with your opponent, and if you reach the final match, then once again, you switch sides when either of the players reaches 11 points. 

  1. Serving

One of the most important parts of the game is a serve. 

It is crucial for a professional player and a beginner since it is the only shot you have complete control over. You have the shuttlecock in your hand and can begin the rally on your terms. 

Serving is not as simple as it looks; there are several rules you need to follow: 

  1. Your serve must travel upwards first; no serving like in Tennis
  2. You must hit the shuttlecock below waist height
  3. You must wait for the opponent to be ready
  4. You must serve with a continuous motion

There is a Forehand serve, and a Backhand serve. 

Forehand High Serve requires you to stand about 2-3 feet behind the service line. You diagonally hit the shuttle from one service box to another on the opposite side. The shuttle travels high and deep and vertically drops on the opponent’s service box. 

In the Backhand serve, you stand the same way as Forehand Serve and then swing the racquet from the lower angle such that the shuttle falls in the short serve box. 

  1. Serve Side 

Before we get into the server side, you must understand that you get to serve if you’ve won the point. 

For singles, 

To interpret which side of the services you choose, if your score is an even number, you serve from the right side, and if your score is an odd number, then you serve from the left side of the court. 

For Doubles, 

The same rule applies. You look at your score, and if it’s an even number, then the player on the right position serves, and if your score is an odd number, then the player on the left side of the court serves. 

  1. Badminton Lets 

Let is called as the current point is replayed, neither of the player wins or loses the point but the server restarts the point again. 

Some other Badminton rules that you need to know are as follows: 

  1. At the start of the game, each player picks a side of the court where he plays 
  2. The player who loses the point is the one who will be on the receiving end
  3. In doubles, after the service has been returned, every part of the court is considered in, except the outside lines 
  4. In singles, it is very easy to understand that if you have won the rally, then you’re serving and will continue to serve until you lose a point
  5. In singles, what’s in and what’s outstay the same throughout the match
  6. Hitting the shuttlecock before it passes over the net is considered a fault that ends the rally 
  7. You can’t hit the shuttlecock twice or touch the net during a rally 

As a server, you need to keep the following things in mind: 

  • Serve should be stuck below the waist 
  • The racquet should be pointing downwards 
  • You should not be standing in the line 
  • You cannot hit the feathers of the shuttlecock 

 

You need to keep these rules in mind while playing Badminton. Because not only will they help you become a better player, but professional players always abide by the rules. 

Badminton, personal trainer, sport for adults