How to Play Speedminton

German Bill Brands developed speedminton, also known as shuttleball and speed badminton. Played with rackets similar to squash and a heavier shuttlecock called a speeder, speedminton can be played anywhere you can set up a court. Though it is most popular in Germany, the sport is growing in popularity in the United States. Read on to learn how to play speedminton.

Things You'll Need

• Court markers
• Speedminton rackets
• Speeder

Instructions

Singles

1. Set up your court. A speedminton court is made of two 18-inch squares that are 42 inches apart. These are the same dimensions as half a tennis court and can easily be played on one by extending the center line to the back of the court with tape, though no net is needed. You can also set up cones in these dimensions anywhere there's enough space for it to create a court. Some speedminton kits come with the necessary equipment to do both of these things.

2. Choose who will serve first. This can be done by any means to begin the game with service changing every three serves. In subsequent games the person who lost the previous game serves first.

3. Serve the speeder. When serving behind the front line of the square you must hit the speeder below your waist with the head of the racket below your hand. An overhead serve can be done from behind the back line of the square.

4. Hit the speeder back and forth until someone scores a point. A point is scored on every serve and is counted when the speeder lands in the opponent's square (the line is considered in bounds), it lands out of bounds, it hits a person, or it's hit twice consecutively by the same person. A game is won by reaching 15 points first and must be won by two points. Players switch sides after each game. The player who wins three out of five games wins the match.

Doubles

1. Set up your court. A doubles court is simply two singles courts placed side by side.

2. Choose who will serve first. This can be decided in any way you want. The serving order alternates every three serves and moves from one team to the other and between each team member on the same team.

3. Serve the speeder. This is done in the same way as in the singles game. The server always serves to the square diagonally across from him going from right to left, and changes positions with his teammate after each serve. The receiving team stays in the same positions during each serve. After the speeder is served all players can move freely within their side of the court.

4. Score doubles games and matches the same way you score in singles.