Badminton is a sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and skill levels.
Here are ten fun facts about badminton:
1. Badminton originated in India over 2,000 years ago.
2. The game was originally played with a shuttlecock made from feathers and a bamboo racket.
3. Badminton became an Olympic sport in 1992.
4. The world’s fastest recorded badminton smash was clocked at 493 km/h (305 mph) by Fu Haifeng of China at the 2005 Sudirman Cup tournament.
5. In doubles play, each team must keep their respective halves of the court clear of any obstructions, such as other players or objects. This rule is known as the “clear line” rule.
6. If the shuttlecock hits the ground in bounds, it is considered good and remains in play; however, if it hits the ground out of bounds, it is considered dead and results in a point for the opposing side.
7. A player may not hit the shuttlecock twice consecutively; this is known as a “fault.”
8. When serving, a player must stand behind the baseline and toss the shuttlecock into the air before hitting it across to their opponent(s).
9. A rally ends when one side fails to return the shuttlecock back over to their opponents’ half of the court within three consecutive strokes (a “let”), or when one side commits a fault (such as hitting outside of bounds).
10. The first player or team to reach 21 points wins however, if both sides reach 20 points apiece, then whoever scores two consecutive points wins.
