Badminton, in some form or another, has been around for some 2,000 years. Today's game evolved from a game known as Battledore and Shuttlecock, played in Europe and Asia. A game known as Poon in India introduced the net; players batted the shuttlecock back and forth over it. Poon arrived in England in the 1800s where it became popular at the Duke of Beaufort's home, "Badminton." Rules for the game became standardized with the formation in 1934 of the International Badminton Federation.
Court and Net
The dimensions of a badminton court are 44 feet in length and 17 feet in width for a singles match, and 44 feet by 22 feet for a doubles match. The net spans the center of the court, and the top is 5 feet, 1 inch off the ground at the sides and 5 feet high at its center.
Serving
The server begins a game serving from the right service court; the receiver stands diagonally opposite the server and must remain stationary until the shuttlecock is served. The server must hit the shuttlecock with his racket underhanded. After the first point is scored, the server hits from the right service court when his score is even and from the left service court when his score is odd. A shuttlecock that lands on a boundary line is considered a good serve.
Scoring
A point is scored when the shuttlecock clears the net and lands on the opponent's court. This is known as "winning a rally." Players can lose a rally (their opponent scores a point) by hitting the shuttlecock over the net, but out of bounds; hitting it into the net or so that it does not clear the net; hitting the shuttlecock before an opponent's shot clears the net; or if the shuttlecock touches the player.
Game Scoring
Badminton matches are best-of-three games. Each game is played to 21, with a point scored on every serve. If the score is tied at 20-20, the first player or team to achieve a two-point lead wins the game. If a game is tied at 29-29, the next player or team to score wins the game. The player or team that wins a game is the first to serve in the next game.
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