Sport guide
Badminton
Badminton is a net sport in which players use light rackets to hit a feathered or synthetic shuttlecock over a high net, scoring when it lands in the opposing court or the opponent fails to return it. It is played indoors almost everywhere at competitive level, with singles and doubles, and is especially strong in Asia and northern Europe.
Importance 5 out of 5Importance rating
At a glance
- Court
- 13.4 m × 6.1 m (44 ft × 20 ft)
- Played with
- A racket and a shuttle
- Formats
- Singles, Doubles, Mixed doubles
- Governing body
- Badminton World Federation
- Origin
- Being verified
The court
Formats
- Singles
- Doubles
- Mixed doubles
How it is played
Badminton is played by two players or two pairs who hit a shuttle over a net and try to make it land inside the opponents' court. Every rally scores a point: a game goes to 21, with a two-point lead needed from 20-all and a cap at 30, and a match is the best of three games.
Explore badminton
- RulesServe, scoring, faults and doubles, each point from the official rules
- EquipmentRacket, shuttle and net limits, in metric and imperial
- CourtsCourt size 13.4 m × 6.1 m (44 ft × 20 ft), drawn to scale · 3 famous venues
- Brands1 brand and what they make
- Players20 players on the men’s and women’s tours, with the titles they have won
- Organisations23 organisations, from Badminton World Federation to national federations, by region
Related sports
Sources
- Laws of Badminton (BWF Statutes, Section 4.1), Badminton World Federation, Version 5.0 (2), in force 26 April 2025extranet.bwf.sportOfficial rulebook or governing body (tier 1 of 5)