Badminton: History, Rules, and Equipment Essentials
Badminton: A Comprehensive Overview
Badminton’s characteristics allow it to be a competitive sport or a fun way to maintain fitness. Practicing badminton, just as recreation, is enormously appealing. Unlike what happens in other sports, it does not require great technical knowledge to get started. Learning is very easy and fast. Badminton can be practiced at any age. It is, therefore, an activity suitable for the physical maintenance of any person, especially those who want to combat sedentary lifestyles, stress, nervous tension, etc. As a competitive sport, it is of incredible visual beauty and provides the viewer with a remarkable spectacle. High-competition athletes must be highly qualified, since it requires a great effort in training and great physical fitness.
Historical Summary
There is much written documentation about the history of badminton. Some place the origin of badminton in a game similar to one that was practiced in China more than two thousand years ago. Others attribute it to a semi-sporting exercise practiced by the Incas, which was known by the name of “Indiaca”. In the seventeenth century, and with reliable documentation, a similar game existed in Europe. But in fact, the origins of the sport we know as badminton must be in the game played in India, called *Poona*, which some English soldiers imported to England in 1873. One rainy day that year, unable to perform any outdoor activity, British army officers who knew *Poona* decided to play something akin to it to distract themselves. The shuttlecock was improvised with a stopper from a bottle of champagne and bird feathers. This occurred at Badminton House, Gloucestershire domain, belonging to the dukedom of Beaufort. The result of that fun was the birth of a fledgling sport that took on the name of badminton.
The first rules of the game were published in 1877, and the first association created for that purpose, the Badminton Association of England, dates from 1893. The International Badminton Federation (IBF) was established in 1934 and now comprises approximately one hundred countries spread over five continents. The first international competition, the Thomas Cup, in honor of the president and founder of the IBF, was disputed in 1949. This competition, which is comparable to the Davis Cup in tennis, is reserved for men. In 1957, the Uber Cup began, the first specifically for women.
Although official World Championships, held in Malmö (Sweden), took place in 1977, the All England Championships can be regarded as the most prestigious tournament. It is comparable to the Wimbledon tennis tournament and has taken its place since it began in 1899. In Europe, the most important competitions are the European Championships, Swiss Cup, Golden Pen, and the Nordic Open games and championships in Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands. In Spain, badminton started in Galicia, with learning from the Portuguese in the late seventies. Soon, qualified sport took power and began to spread throughout the Spanish state. The Spanish Committee of Badminton, surprisingly dependent on the Spanish Ball Federation, started working as coordinator of the badminton case in Spain in 1980. The Galician Association, in collaboration with the Professional Association of Teachers of Physical Education, organized the first course for coaches, held in Madrid.
Where to Practice Badminton
Whenever possible, it is preferable to practice badminton in a sports hall, a gymnasium, or an indoor hall that allows for the dimensions of the track, plus at least one meter between the outer edge of the field and the wall or other obstacle. It is desirable that the minimum height of an enclosed area be seven meters.
Competitive badminton is played in covered halls. However, if performed as recreation or as a maintenance exercise, you can play outdoors, provided that you have a small area without obstacles for exploiting the net. You can also play in courtyards or garden areas.
Outdoor badminton sometimes offers difficulties caused by the extreme sensitivity and lightweight of the shuttlecock, which makes the current affect its trajectory. Despite these drawbacks, the advantages and possibilities that enable play are many, both on hard and soft terrain, and it involves no discomfort to other persons who may be near the playground, taking into account that the shuttlecock rarely leaves the boundaries of the pitch.
The Court
The court is limited by lines four feet wide. Except for the central line that delineates the service zone of the right wing with the service zone of the left, each line is part of the marked surface and is drawn inside. The center line is drawn, dividing the width between the two areas of serve. It is always part of each individual service area.
* For **singles matches**, the field is delimited by the inner side lines and the outer baseline. * For **doubles**, the field is delimited by the outer lines.
The Net and Posts
The net must be made of thin rope or artificial fiber, necessarily dark. The mesh should have a thread of uniform thickness. The squares that form the mesh must have a minimum of 15 mm and a maximum of 20 mm in width. The top of the net will have a folded white tape, 7.5 cm wide. On the inside of the tape passes a cord or cable that serves to tighten the top of the posts. The sides of the net should also be protected by the same white ribbon, having holes and eyelets through which a string passes, tied to the pole up and down, to tighten the bottom of the net.
The regulatory net measures 76 cm wide and 6.20 m long. It is placed vertically on the midline of the field, dividing it into two equal halves. Measured from the floor, the top of the net in the center of the field should be 1.524 meters. On the poles, the net has to measure 1.55 meters from the floor.
The posts will be preferably metallic and have a minimum height of 1.55 meters. They must be strong and steady to keep the net stretched and strained. They are placed at both ends of the midline of the field. For more comfort, they can incorporate the necessary counterweight and two wheels for easy transport.
The Racket
The racket is the most important piece of equipment. To choose a racket, you have to take into account the weight, the material the frame and the rod are made of, the balance of weight, and the thickness of the grip.
Currently, almost all rackets are metallic (wood is hardly used) and are components of different forms: graphite, carbon, boron, etc. There are several brands of rackets on the market, with prices varying according to quality. The recommended maximum weight is 120 grams, with the strings included. There are rackets for high competition, high flexibility, and quality, weighing between 75 and 80 grams.
The rope, the thinnest of racket sports, is special for badminton and needs to be tightened between 4.5 and 10 kg. The rope can be repaired without stringing the entire frame.