Badminton
Study Guide
I.
History
Badminton originated from the ancient
game “Battledore & Shuttlecock” played in Siam and China over 2000
years ago. A modified version
of this sport known as “Pouna” (in India) caught the attention and
enthusiasm of British Army officers stationed there.
They brought it home to England around 1870.
The game spread rapidly throughout the world and reached America via
Canada. It is a sport with
great appeal for all ages, as well as for those of varying skills levels and
degrees of physical stamina. Although
the beginner can quickly learn to hit the birdie back and forth across the
net, it is the advanced player who has mastered game strategy and birdie
placement that receives the greatest satisfaction from the game.
II.
Scoring
A.
A game of doubles is scored to 15.
B. Only
the serving team scores; loss of serve is known as “hand-out”.
C.
The server serves only one bird into alternate courts (as in tennis)
and begins in the right hand court. The
server serves until he/she loses serve and then the rotation continues.
D.
The doubles rotation is as follows:
TEAM A, player 1; TEAM B, player 1; TEAM B, player 2;
TEAM A, player 2; TEAM A, player 1; TEAM B, player 1; TEAM B,
player 2; TEAM A, player 2; TEAM
A, player 1; etc.
E.
To be good, a serve must go diagonally across the net and land in the
receiver’s box which is behind the short line in the back court.
III.
Strategy
A.
The best defensive position is partners
side-by-side near the center of the court.
B.
Most serves should be short and low, but long,
deep ones should be mixed in too.
C.
Hit most shots down and away from opponents.
D.
Gain the attack and keep it by hitting the
birdie low so the opponents will have to hit up and it can be smashed back
to them.
E.
Use hard smashes directed at the body.
F.
Drive the bird occasionally down the midcourt
line in order to draw both opponents to the center with the hope they will
both go for it; or if one is left handed, and the other partner is right
handed.
IV.
Rules
A.
A shuttlecock landing on a line is in bounds.
B.
The shuttlecock can only be hit once on each side.
C.
The racket cannot hit the net.
D.
The shuttlecock must be served underhand.
E.
A player cannot reach over the net to hit the shuttlecock.
F.
If the server attempts to serve and misses the shuttlecock, it is not
a fault. ( The serve is attempted again.)
G.
The shuttlecock cannot hit the net on a serve.
ACE-
one point
BACKHAND
– A stroke made on the non-racket side of the body.
CROSSCOUNT
– A shot hit diagonally into the opponents court.
DOUBLE
HIT – an illegal shot in which the racket contacts the birdie twice in
one swing.
DRIVE-
a hard hit that travels parallel to the floor.
DROP-
a low shot close to the net that falls immediately after crossing the net.
FAULT-
any infraction of the rules. It results in loss of serve or a point
for the server.
FOREHAND
– Any stroke made on the racket side of the body.
HAND-OUT-
loss of serve
HIGH
CLEAR or CLEAR - a defensive hit where the birdie should land far into
the back court after sailing far and high into the air.
LET-
the stopping of play due to some type of outside interference.
LOVE
– The term used to indicate zero in scoring.
OVERHEAD – A motion used to
strike the birdie when it is above the head.