Badminton Rules and Regulations

The game of badminton happens to be one of the world's most popular racket sports (in all probability, it is 2nd only to tennis). At the same time, it is regarded as the fastest or quickest racket sport in terms of game speed, player agility, player reflexes, etc. (Watch a badminton doubles match for a mere five minutes, and you'll know what I'm talking about). Well, anyway, if you're a young badminton enthusiast, or a beginner who would like to try your hand at the game, I'm sure you would be interested in acquainting yourself with some basic badminton rules and regulations. So, here are some primary rules and regulations of badminton, along with some interesting badminton facts.

Basic Badminton Rules and Regulations
I'm sure that you are familiar with the fundamental concept of badminton and how it is played. Well, the fundamental concept of badminton is similar to that of tennis. The objective of the game is to strike the shuttlecock with the badminton racket so that it does not hit the net and fall back on your side of the court, but crosses over to your opponent's side. At the same time, the shuttlecock should not land outside the lines which demarcate the court boundaries.

Court Dimensions
In badminton, there are singles matches as well as doubles matches. In both cases, the badminton court remains the same, all that changes is the court boundary (which is established by the demarcating lines). The overall court size is 20 feet × 44 feet. Of this, the actual court size, i.e. the permitted playable area for a singles game, is 17 feet × 44 feet, whereas, that for a doubles game is the entire court area, i.e. 20 feet × 44 feet. A 5-feet high net, placed at the center of the badminton court, divides the court (lengthwise) into 2 equal parts. There are two types of service lines, which are marked on both halves of the badminton court. One of them is a short service line which is situated at a distance of six-and-a-half feet from the net. At the same time, there is also a long service line. In case of singles matches, the long service line is at a distance of 22 feet from the net (it is nothing but the back boundary line which demarcates the opposite end of the court). In case of doubles, there is a separate long service line, which is located inside the court, at a distance of two-and-a-half feet from the singles long service line.

Scoring Methods
A badminton match is a best of 3 games system. Earlier, a badminton game used to be a 15-point system in case of men's matches, and an 11-point system in case of women's matches. As per new badminton rules and regulations, a game is won by the player who is the first to reach 21 points. In case of a 20-all scenario, the player who is the first to take a two point lead, wins the game. In case of a 29-all scenario, the player that wins the 30th point wins the game.

Additional Badminton Rules and Regulations
Here is a quick run-through of a few other rules and regulations of badminton.

• A point begins with a player service, and ends with the shuttlecock hitting the net and dropping dead, or landing outside the court boundaries, or either of the players committing a fault.
• The serve must be always an underhand serve.
• A shuttlecock that lands on a boundary line is considered to be 'in'.
• The player or the team that wins the first game serves first in the subsequent game.
• If a player touches the net or any part of the net with his racket, body or clothes, it is considered to be a fault.
• While serving, the badminton racket must strike the cork portion of the shuttlecock first. If it strikes the feathers first, it is considered to be a fault.
• The player who serves cannot lift his feet or move from his position until his opponent's racket has made contact with the shuttlecock.
• In case of indoor play, it is considered to be a fault if the shuttlecock hits the court roof or the ceiling.

Interesting Badminton Facts
For those who are fascinated by sports trivia, here are some interesting badminton facts.

• The sport of badminton is believed to have originated in the 19th century in the Indian city of Pune, during the British regime in India.
• In terms of smash speed records, Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia holds the world record for the fastest smash (190 mph) in a singles competition. In case of doubles, the world record holder happens to be Fu Haifeng of China (206 mph).
• Badminton made its debut in the list of Olympic sports for the first time at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
• A badminton shuttlecock is made out of 16 feathers.
• The best quality shuttlecocks are those which are made from the feathers from the left wing of a goose.
• The first official badminton club in the United States happens to be the Badminton Club of New York. It was formed in 1878.

This was a short overview of basic badminton rules and regulations. You might also want to check out a few badminton tips. Enjoy the game!