Princeton defines badminton as "a game played on a court with light long-handled rackets used to volley a shuttlecock over a net." This game can be fast-paced with a back and forth action of the shuttlecock. Badminton can be played as a single or doubles game where the object is to hit the shuttlecock past the opposing player so it hits the ground. Another objective is to get the opposing player make a mistake.
Court
The court for badminton is a rectangle that is 40 feet wide. There are lines to mark the edges of the court that should be in white or yellow. A net is in the middle of the court that is 1 1/2 meters high and made of a fine cord in a dark color. The top of the net is edged with white tape. Each side of the court on opposite sides of the net has a right and left service court towards the rear of the court, side lines at the outer edges and a short service line just to the inside of the net.
Shuttlecock
The shuttlecock used in badminton can either be feathered or unfeathered according to the Badminton World Federation. It has a small ball at the front with either the feathers or synthetic material protruding from there. If it is feathered, there will be 16 feathers. The feathers or materials form a circle that is 58 to 68 mm in diameter. It could be described as looking slightly like a funnel but with a round ball base.
Scoring
In badminton, only the serving side can score and the first side to 21 points wins. One point is scored at a time. A point is scored when the serving side hits the shuttlecock over the net and it hits the ground. A point is also awarded if the opponent commits a fault. The winner of the game overall is the winner of the best of three sets.
Faults
A fault can be committed by a serve that doesn't go over the net, a serve that goes over the net but while out of bounds or the shuttlecock gets caught on the top of the net or in the net. Faults also include the shuttlecock touching the clothing of the player or getting caught in the racket. A player cannot hit the shuttlecock twice in a row with the racket. Players cannot go on the other side of the net, use their rackets under the net, deliberately distract other players or obstruct an opponent from playing the shuttlecock.
Lets
Lets can be called by an umpire if one is present or a player and they stop play. They can be used for unforeseen reasons that play needs to stop, if the shuttlecock is damaged and cannot be used or the opponent is not ready and the server serves. After a let, the side that served last will serve again.
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