Est. Ancient shuttlecock games — codified 1870s · British India and Gloucestershire, England

Badminton

The fastest racket sport on earth, born of a parlor game

BWF (Badminton World Federation)2–4 playersHead to HeadLive on Game ON

Where it began

The origin

Games of keeping a shuttlecock aloft with a bat — battledore and shuttlecock — are centuries old across Europe and Asia. British officers in India added a net and competitive rules in the mid-1800s, calling it Poona after the garrison town. The game took its modern name from Badminton House, the Duke of Beaufort's Gloucestershire estate where it was famously played in 1873, and English clubs wrote formal rules soon after.

From the margins

Badminton smashes are the fastest strikes in racket sports — shuttle speeds over 500 km/h have been recorded in test conditions, faster than any tennis serve.

The rules, rewritten

How the game transformed

1877
The first written rules
The Bath Badminton Club produced the first formal rulebook, taming the drawing-room game into a standardized court sport.
1893
A national association
The Badminton Association of England formed, standardized the rules and court, and launched the All England Championships in 1899 — still the sport's most storied event.
1934
The international federation
Nine nations founded the International Badminton Federation (now BWF), unifying the laws worldwide and later creating the Thomas and Uber Cup team competitions.
1992
Olympic debut
Badminton became a full Olympic medal sport in Barcelona, cementing East and Southeast Asia's dominance on the sport's biggest stage.
2006
Rally scoring to 21
The BWF scrapped 15-point service scoring for 21-point rally scoring in all events — every rally now wins a point regardless of who served, shortening and sharpening matches.

Current edition

The game today

Badminton is among the world's most-played sports, a daily-life staple across Asia, with China, Indonesia, India, Japan, Denmark, and Korea powering the professional BWF World Tour. It has been an Olympic sport since 1992 across five events including mixed doubles.

The objective

Win 2 sets of 21 points (rally scoring) by landing the shuttlecock in the opponent's half.

Rules as played today

1Rally scoring: each rally results in a point for the winner regardless of who served
2Sets are played to 21 points, with a 2-point lead required; final set to 30 if tied at 29-29
3Service must be hit below the server's waist in an underhand motion
4Shuttlecock landing on the line is in; landing outside is out
5Only one hit per side; the shuttlecock must cross the net in one contact

One game, many houses

Ways to play

Doubles

2v2

The flat, ferocious four-player game where rallies are won at the net and mid-court.

Uses the full court width; the long service line is shorter than in singles
Only one player serves per side-out, with partners alternating service courts as points are won

Mixed Doubles

2v2

One of the few racket disciplines with gender-mixed Olympic medals, built on front-back positioning.

Standard doubles rules with one man and one woman per pair
Tactics conventionally station the woman at the net and the man at the rear

AirBadminton

The BWF's outdoor version launched in 2019 with a wind-resistant shuttle.

Played with the heavier AirShuttle on sand, grass, or hard surfaces
A two-meter dead zone at the net where the shuttle may not land
Includes a 3v3 triples format

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Library card

Established: Ancient shuttlecock games — codified 1870s
Birthplace: British India and Gloucestershire, England
Governed by: BWF (Badminton World Federation)
Players: 2–4
Format: Head to Head
Variations: 3 documented

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