Main rules of the game:
Badminton is played on a court 13.4 m long and 6.1 m wide. There are individual competitions (men's and women's singles) and doubles (single-sex or mixed pairs, i.e. a man and a woman in each pair). Men play until they reach 15 points per set, women play up to 11 points. Only the serving side can score points. When the serving side loses, the receiving side gains the right to serve. If the score reaches 14:14 (in men's competitions) or 10:10 (in women's competitions), the side that has reached the 14th (or 10th) point first decides whether to continue playing to 15 (11) points or to extend the game to 17 (13) points. As a match consists of the best two sets, a game frequently lasts up to an hour. There are team tournaments in which a match comprises both singles and doubles. Nowadays, separate tournaments for men and women are gradually replacing mixed teams competitions.
Equipment:
The 76 cm wide net is suspended at 1.52 m. Shuttles used in competitions weigh between 4.74 and 5.50 g. They are composed of 16 feathers. Synthetic shuttles are also acceptable, but their playing characteristics should be similar to those made of natural feathers with a cork base covered with a layer of fine leather. The feathers should be the same length (between 62 and 70 mm) when measured from their tips to the edge of the base. The tips of the feathers should form a circle with a diameter of 58-68 mm. The base should have a diameter of 25-28 mm and be rounded at the bottom. Modifications of these specifications are acceptable only when atmospheric conditions due to altitude or climate make the standard shuttle unsuitable or when specific circumstances call for adjustments.
The racquet consists of the handle, the stringed area, the head, the shaft, the throat and the frame. The overall length and width of the frame should not exceed 680 and 230 mm respectively. The stringed area should be flat and made up of a pattern of crossed strings either interlaced or bonded where they cross. The pattern of strings should be uniform, i.e. its density should be the same in the centre as in any other part. The stringed area should not exceed 280 mm in length and 220 mm in width. The strings, however, may be extended to the place otherwise occupied by the throat provided that the width of the extended area does not exceed 35 mm and the overall length of the stringed area does not exceed 330 mm. The above mentioned equipment makes it possible to smash the shuttle with a speed of up to 250 km/h!