Badminton is an Olympic sport played by either two opposing individuals for singles play or by two opposing pairs for doubles play. The match is played to the best of three games and, according to badmintonsource.com, the object is to hit the badminton shuttlecock over the net and onto the ground within bounds on your opponent's side.
Equipment
Players use small, light rackets to hit the shuttlecock over the badminton net. The shuttlecock, also known as a birdie, or simply a shuttle, is a feathered conical projectile with round cork top. According to badminton.org, players play on a 44-by-22-foot court in doubles and 44-by-17-foot court in singles, with a 5-foot high net running along the center of the court.
Rally
During the course of a badminton match, each player only has one attempt to hit the shuttlecock over the net. According to badminton.org, a rally is won when a shuttle is hit over the net and onto the floor of the opponent's court. A rally is lost when a player hits the shuttlecock into the net, out of bounds, before it crosses the net to your side, or if it hits your clothing or any part of your body rather than your racket.
Scoring
According to badmintonsource.com, both service and rally play are permitted in badminton. In service play, a badminton game is won by scoring 15 points in doubles and men's singles, or 11 points in women's singles. In rally play, 21 points are needed to win a game. In service play, only the serving team can score a point, where as in rally play, any team can be awarded a point. According to badminton-information.com, players switch sides after finishing the first game. If three games are needed, players switch when the leading score reaches 6 in a game to 11, 8 in a game to 15 or 11 in a game to 21.
Serving
Shuttlecocks are always served underhand to the opponent. According to badmintonsource.com, service is always done diagonally from the right service court to the opponents left service court. The first serve is taken from the right court, and serves thereafter are taken on alternating sides. Players must stand in their assigned courts, and the receiving player cannot move his feet until the shuttlecock makes contact with the server's racket. Once a rally is formed, players may move about on their side as they please.
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