About Badminton Courts

Badminton is a racquet sport with ancient origins that has enjoyed an increase in popularity since it became an Olympic medal sport in 1992. Typically involving two or four players, the purpose of the game involves hitting a projectile known as a shuttlecock, which is made of cork and synthetic or natural feathers. Competitive badminton is usually played indoors on a precisely proportioned rectangular court. However informal badminton matches can be held outdoors with cones or trees acting as the court's boundaries. Regardless of the court's setting, badminton can provide a vigorous cardiovascular workout that promotes physical skills such as accuracy, agility and speed.

Size

A regulation badminton court is 44 feet long and 20 feet wide. For singles matches, the width of the playing area decreases to 17 feet. A 5-foot tall net is stretched across the center of the court. Court boundaries and serving areas are marked with lines measuring 1.7 inches in width. The court should be surrounded by a 5-foot-wide unobstructed area. Since shots can fly high into the air, a minimum height clearance of 30 feet is required.

Significance

Badminton is the fastest racquet sport, with the shuttlecock moving at speeds of up to 200 mph. It is estimated that 200 million people play badminton throughout the world. Badminton is considered the most popular racquet sport in England, where 1.5 million play the game on a regular basis. Despite its popularity, the world's top badminton players earn far less than other professional athletes. The total prizes at the 2008 All England Badminton Tournament totaled $200,000, compared to a purse of $23.5 million for the Wimbledon tennis tournament.

History

The origins of badminton date back to ancient China and Greece. A version of the game called "poona" was exported from India to England in the 1860s. The modern rules of badminton were devised in 1887, though there have been subsequent changes in scoring procedures. An international badminton federation was established in 1934. The first U.S. badminton club formed in New York City in 1878, but American players did not rise to global prominence until during and after World War II. Badminton's first world championship took place in 1977. Badminton became an Olympic sport in 1992 with five events: men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles and mixed doubles. China has dominated the sport in recent years, capturing 8 of 15 medals awarded during the 2008 Olympics.

Features

Competition badminton courts should be level and often feature a concrete or wooden surface. Ready-made courts featuring a non-slip surface can be purchased with pre-painted court lines. Badminton rackets are light, weighing from 3.5 to 5 ounces. Though early racquets were made of wood, today's versions are usually constructed of aluminum, boron, graphite or titanium.
Featuring unique aerodynamic properties, tournament-quality shuttlecocks--also called shuttles or birdies--weigh 0.2 oz and consist of 16 goose feathers protruding from a ball-shaped cork. Most casual players use plastic shuttlecocks with synthetic feathers. Both types of shuttlecocks measure 2.5 inches in length. Competitive badminton matches are decided by a best-of-three-games criteria. Points are scored when the shuttlecock hits the ground or lands out of bounds. The first player or team to score 21 points with a two-point advantage wins the game. If the score proceeds to a 29-29 tie, the first player or team to score 30 points in declared the winner.

Misconceptions

While often played as a backyard diversion, competitive badminton is considered to be more physically demanding than many sports. including tennis. The top badminton players will make nearly twice as many shots and cover twice as much ground during a match than tennis players.

Resources

• Rules of badminton