Badminton is the fastest racquet sport in the world and anyone can learn to play! Below are some basics to get you started
The Rules of Badminton
For those who are new to the sport, badminton is:
- A net game
- A racquet and shuttle game
- Played on a rectangular court
- A volleying game, with the rallies beginning with an underarm serve
There are variations in able bodied vs para badminton. Able bodied badminton has five disciplines – singles (men/women), doubles (men/women) and mixed. On top of the same disciplines, para badminton is split across 6 different classes depending on player impairments as follows:
- Wheelchair Sport Classes – WH1 and WH2
- Standing Sport Classes – SL3, SL4 and SU5
- Short Stature Sport Class – SH6
For players with a disability, court sizes are adapted according to the category of player under the para-badminton classification system.
SINGLES
DOUBLES
Scoring System
Every time there is a serve, the winning side scores a point. Points are won when:
- The shuttle hits the floor on the opponents side
- The shuttle is hit out of court boundary
- The shuttle is served above the waist (service fault)
- The shuttle hits a players’ body
- The shuttle is hit multiple times with a racquet or by both players on the same side (this is called a double hit)
If the score is even, players serve from the right side and odd from the left.
The winner of each game is the first player to reach 21 points, unless:
- 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 and a match consists of the best of 3 games.
Child Development
Childhood is a crucial period for the development of our physical, mental and social capabilities. Research has shown that playing sport and being physically active in early childhood can provide lifelong benefits to physical, mental, social, and economic well-being. Children and young people who grow up playing sports like badminton are more likely to remain active as adults and to have improved resilience and social connectedness.
Physical
Development
Badminton is a physically demanding sport and studies show that children who play in combination with a balanced diet are more likely to enter adulthood within a healthy weight range.
Badminton can help with bone density and decrease the risk of osteoporosis later.
Badminton improves balance and coordination. Children who play regularly can decrease their risk of injury due to a loss of balance by up to 64%.
Mental
Development
Studies show that participation in Badminton can lead to a 91% improvement in attention, focus and memory recall.
A child’s problem solving and resilience can be improved by participating in Badminton as they are exposed to the unpredictability of competition.
91% of Children who increased their activity participation over a 6 week period were shown to improve their ability to moderate their emotions
Social
Development
By playing Badminton with others, children learn teamwork and develop their leadership skills.
Badminton can improve a child’s ability to follow rules and understand positions of authority through relationships with coaches and officials.
Research shows that 93% of children who participate in sport regularly show an improvement in confidence and self-esteem after only 6 weeks.
Want to learn more about Physical Literacy and your child’s development? Watch this short video to see how your child could benefit from playing Badminton.
