Court & Equipment
The badminton court is 17 by 44 feet for singles, 20 by 44 for doubles. To make up the difference, there's a 1 ½-foot alley along each side of the court that comes into play for doubles.
On each half of the court there's a short service line, 6 ½ feet from the net, and another line 2 ½ feet from the end line. This second line is the long service line for doubles. The end line is the long service line for singles. A center line extends from the short service line to the end line.
The net is 5 feet high, stretched tightly between two posts placed on the doubles side line.
The shuttlecock (or bird or, simply, shuttle) has a base 25 to 28 millimeters in diameter, rounded on the bottom. It may have 16 feathers, arranged in a circle, or a skirt made of simulated feathers. In either case, the length must be between 62 and 70 millimeters, and the total weight must be 4.74 to 5.50 grams.
The maximum racket size is 680 milleters long and 230 millimeters at its widest point. The stringed area must not be larger than 280 millimeters in length and 220 millimeters in width.
Progress of Play
Players begin by tossing a racket to decide which of them serves first. The server stands anywhere in his or her own right-hand service court and serves diagonally across into the opponent's right-hand service court; the serve must go beyond the short service line. The players then continue hitting the bird back and forth until one of them makes a fault. If it is the server's fault, no point is scored, but the other player wins the right to serve. Only the server can score. A player serves from the right-hand service court when the number of points is even, and from the left-hand court when there is an odd number of points.
Game is usually 15 points in men's tournament play, 11 in women's. In men's play, if the score is tied at 13, the first player to reach that number has the option of "setting" the game at 5 points; that is, he declares that the first player to score 5 points (for a total of 18) will be the winner. At 14-all, the first player to reach 14 can "set" the game at 3 points. If he elects not to set the game, game remains at 15 points.
In women's play, game may be set at 3 when the score is tied at 9, or at 2 when the score is tied at 10. In a 21-point game, game may be set at 5 when the score is 19-all or at 3 when the score is 20-all.
Doubles
The doubles court is 3 ft wider, the 1 ½ foot alleys on either side of the court coming into play. The service court is 1 ½ feet wider by 2 ½ feet shorter than in singles. The first time a team serves, only one player serves, with service then passing to the other team. After that, both players on a team get a chance to serve before the team loses the service.
To explain further: Team A serves, loses the point, and Team B then serves. Its first server, B-1, loses the point; but it is now B-2's turn to serve, and B-2 continues until that team loses the point. A-2 now serves, followed by A-1.
Faults
The serve must be made underhand; the bat must contact the shuttlecock below the server's waist, and it must not be higher than the server's hand at the moment of contact. It is a fault if the server touches one of the lines enclosing the service court, and the server is not allowed to fake a serve. A server gets only one chance to make a proper serve. The player returning service must remain stationary until the serve is on its way.
It is a fault if the shuttlecock:
- Hits the ground before it is returned
- Falls outside the court boundaries
- Fails to go over the net
- Goes through the net
- Touches a player or a player's clothing
It is also a fault if a player hits the shuttlecock before it crosses the net, touches the net with the body or the racket, or commits a "carry"-that is, if the shuttlecock is momentarily stationary on the player's racket before the player hits (actually, throws) it back. In doubles, it is a fault if both players on the same team strike the shuttle.
If the shuttlecock strikes the net but falls over to the other side, it is in play.
If the server swings and completely misses the shuttle, it is not a fault.
Lets
As in most racket sports, a let is a service or exchange of shots that simply doesn't count.
A let is called when:
- The shuttle lands on top of the net and remains suspended there, or if it goes over the net and is then caught in the net.
- The shuttle disintegrates so that the base is completely separated from the feathers or skirt.
- The line judge and umpire cannot determine whether a shot was in or out.
- During service, both the server and the receiver are faulted (e. g., the server steps on a line and the receiver moves before service).