BADMINTON HANDBOOK

BADMINTON HANDBOOK JOHN DARYLL A. DELFIN 11-PROPRIETORSHIP PHYSICAL EDUCATION

COURT DIMENSIONS

COURT DIMENSIONS The badminton court is 13.4m long and 6.1m wide. For singles the court is marked 5.18m wide. The lines marking out the court are easily distinguishable and coloured white or yellow. The lines are 40mm wide. A court may be marked out for singles only. The back boundary lines also become the long service lines and the posts or the strips of material representing them are placed on the side lines. The diagonal full length of the full court is 14.366m. POST The posts are 1.55m high from the surface of the court and remain vertical when the net is strained. The posts are placed on the double side lines irrespective of whether singles or doubles is played. The posts or supports must not extend into the court beyond the side lines. Where it is not practicable to have posts on the side lines, some method can be used to indicate the position of the side lines where they pass under the net, eg by the use of thin posts or strips of material 40mm wide, fixed to the side lines and rising vertically to the net cord. NET The net is 760mm in depth and a minimum of 6.1m wide. The top of the net from the surface of the court is 1.524m at the centre of the court and 1.55m over the side lines for doubles. There must be no gaps between the ends of the net and the posts. If necessary, the full depth of the net at the ends is tied to the posts.

EQUIPMENTS PERSONAL EQUIPMENT BADMINTON RACKET SHUTTLECOCK PROPER FOOTWEAR BADMINTON ATTIRE



BASIC SKILLS

THE GRIP Like any racquet game, having a proper grip in badminton is essential. The correct grip will allow you to have more control and will help you dictate where you place your shot. There are numerous ways of holding a badminton racket depending on whether your shot is forehand or backhand. For example, you could use the: Forehand grip: Anything on your racquet side (right side if you’re right-handed, left side if you’re left-handed) whether it be overarm or underarm. Backhand grip: Anything to your non-racket side (left side if you’re right-handed, right side if you’re left-handed) whether it be overarm of underarm. Universal grip: A type of backhand grip where your thumb has moved to the edge of the fatter face of your grip. This is used for backhand cross-court net shots, backhand clears, and backhand straight drop shots from the rear court. Panhandle grip: Where your thumb and the finger pinch the top of the racket in order to tap/net-kill the incoming shuttlecock.

THE SERVE Service is another necessary skill you need to master for badminton. A good serve is likely to get you points and may give you some advantage during the rally. There are two types of services used in badminton: HIGH SERVE High serve is used when you want to force your opponent to run to the back of the court by hitting the shuttlecock toward the rear end of the court (sometimes the corner). A good high serve will usually save you from receiving a smash from your opponent. LOW SERVE The low serve is used to bring the opponent forward by hitting the shuttlecock toward the front of the court. If you managed to send a fabulous low serve, the opponent would have to dash forward and move under the shuttle to return it. Depending on the quality of the return, you might be able to return the shot with a net kill/smash. Let’s move on to number 3 on our list of basic badminton skills: THE STANCE While returning strokes from the opponent, the stance is a crucial skill required in badminton. Proper posture will allow you to return the opponent’s strokes efficiently and enable you to get an advantage in rallies.

THE FOOTWORK Footwork is another vital skill for badminton. You have to continually adjust your speed according to the speed of the shuttlecock. The players have limited space to move around, so good footwork is imperative. THE STROKES Strokes are fundamental to becoming a good badminton player and executing superior shots. Broadly categorizing, there are two main kinds of strokes: FOREHAND SHOTS Forehand shots should be played when the shuttlecock is on your racket side. Your index finger will control the forehand stroke as you swing overarm or underarm. Swing the wrist along with your index finger as support to play a forehand stroke. BACKHAND SHOTS Backhand shots should be played when the shuttlecock is on your non-racket side with your thumb controlling the strokes. While playing badminton, your light grip will mean you’ll be able to switch between the forehand and backhand grip at ease. To play a backhand shot, hold the racquet with the back of your hand in front and swing your wrist forward while using your thumb as support.

TECHNICAL AND TACTICAL SKILLS

TECHNICAL AND TACTICAL SKILLS The simplest way that the coach can use to deliver tactical and technical skills to the players is by using a discrete element that gives information about two separate areas. This is one of the ways that the coaches have been instructed to use in the past. However, it may not be the best way the players can rely on to receive this information because the context of the technique may be lacking. This may make the players not to be aware of the relevant technical and badminton tactical techniques and even the application and significance of these techniques being delivered. Having this in mind, a new level 2 certificate for coaches has been developed to train new coaches and to enable them to focus more on the players’ needs. It also encourages and the coaches to deliver technical information about badminton netplay. This promotes the fact that there is a means to move to an area of the court and be able to play a particular shot. Badminton tactical decisions often determine these variations. This increases the importance of badminton tactical coaching and helps develop the coaches’ ability to produce more tactical skills for the players.

RULES OF THE GAME

RULES A player must wait until his opponent is ready before serving. If the opponent attempts a return then he is ruled having been ready. The feet of both players must remain in a stationary position until the serve is made. Your feet can not be touching the line at this time. It is not a fault if you miss the shuttle while serving. The shuttle cannot be caught and slung with the racket. A player cannot hold his racket near the net to ward off a downward stroke by his opponent or to interfere with his racket. SCORING SYSTEM A match consists of the best of 3 games of 21 points. Every time there is a serve – there is a point scored. The side winning a rally adds a point to its score. At 20 all, the side which gains a 2 point lead first, wins that game. At 29 all, the side scoring the 30th point, wins that game. The side winning a game serves first in the next game. INTERVAL AND CHANGE OF ENDS A 1 minute interval between each game is allowed. In the third game, players change ends when the leading score reaches 11 points.

FAULTS The shuttle, at the instant of being hit is higher than the servers waist or the head of the racket is higher than the servers racket hand. The shuttle does not land in the correct service court. The server's feet are not in the service court or if the feet of the receiver are not in the court diagonally opposite the server. The server steps forward as he/she serves. Any player balking or feinting his opponent before serve or during serve. A serve or shot that lands outside the court boundaries, passes under or through the net, touches any other obstructions or a players body or clothing. The boundary and service lines are considered in play. The shuttle in play is struck before it crosses the net to the striker's side of the net. You may follow through over the net. A player touching the net or its supports with his body or racket while the shuttle is in play. Hitting the shuttle twice in succession by a player or team.

SINGLES At the beginning of the game (0-0) and when the server’s score is even, the server serves from the right service court. When the server’s score is odd, the server serves from the left service court. If the server wins a rally, the server scores a point and then serves again from the alternate service court. If the receiver wins a rally, the receiver scores a point and becomes the new server. They serve from the appropriate service court – left if their score is odd, and right if it is even. DOUBLES A side has only one ‘set’. The service passes consecutively to the players as shown in the diagram. At the beginning of the game and when the score is even, the server serves from the right service court. When it is odd, the server serves from the left court. If the serving side wins a rally, the serving side scores a point and the same server serves again from the alternate service court. If the receiving side wins a rally, the receiving side scores a point. The receiving side becomes the new serving side. The players do not change their respective service courts until they win a point when their side is serving.

THE OFFICIALS

The officials are the judges responsible to ensure a fair badminton game is being played. They consists of: UMPIRE The ‘main judge’ for the particular badminton game. He/she has the power to overrule any decisions made by the service judge or line judges. The umpire is the person ensuring that the badminton game is run smoothly and prevent any players from delaying the game play. Whenever a player requests to change the shuttle, the umpire will need to approve that the change could be made. The umpire also looks out for faults committed around the net area such as whether a player touched the net when returning the shuttle. Besides, the umpire is responsible to make a ‘fault’ call when the shuttle touches the player or the players’ attires except for the badminton racket. In badminton, it will be a fault/foul to a player if the shuttle touches any part of that player’s body or attire. Service Judge The service judge is responsible in making a ‘service fault’ call and to provide shuttles to the players. LINE Judge Line judges sit beside the badminton court (right in front of every in/out lines) to determine whether the shuttle is inside or outside the boundaries of the court. Their calls are usually very subjective and are often controversial.