Terminologies in Badminton
Terminologies in Badminton
BADMINTON
TERMINOLOGY
• Alley - side-extension of the court by l½ feet on
both sides that is used for doubles play.
• Back Alley - Area between the back boundary
line and the long service line for doubles.
• Backcourt - the back third of the court, in the
area of the back boundary lines.
• Baseline - Back boundary line at each end of
the court, that runs parallel to the net.
• Bird or birdie - another name for the shuttlecock
• Carry - An illegal tactic, also called a sling or
throw, in which the shuttle is caught and held
on the racket and then slung during the
execution of a stroke.
TERMINOLOGY
• Center Line - Line perpendicular to the net that
separates the left and right service courts.
• Clear - A shot hit deep to the opponent’s back
court.
• Court - Area of play, as defined by the outer
boundary lines.
• Drive - A fast and low shot that makes a
horizontal flight over the net.
• Drop - A shot hit sohly and with finesse to fall
rapidly and close to the net on the opponent’s
side.
• Fault - A violation of the playing rules, either in
serving, receiving, or during play (see common
faults listed below).
TERMINOLOGY
• Flick - A quick wrist and forearm rotation that
surprises an opponent by changing an
apparently soft shot into a faster passing one;
used primarily on the serve and at the net.
• Forecourt - Front third of the court, between the
net and the short service line.
• Hairpin Net Shot - Shot made from below and
very close to the net with the shuttle rising, just
clearing the net, and then dropping sharply
down the other side. The shuttle’s flight
approximates the shape of a hairpin.
• Halfcourt Shot - A shot hit low and to midcourt,
used effectively in doubles against the up-and-
back formation.
TERMINOLOGY
• Kill - Fast, downward shot that cannot be
returned; a "putaway."
• Let - A legitimate cessation of play to allow a
rally to be replayed.
• Long Service Line - In singles, the back
boundary line. In doubles a line 2 l/2 feet inside
the back boundary line. The serve may not go
past this line.
• Match - A series of games (at U.S. Olympic
Festival-’93 it is three out of five), to determine a
winner. Midcourt - The middle third of the court,
halfway between the net and the back boundary
line.
TERMINOLOGY
• Net Shot - Shot hit from the forecourt that just
clears the net and drops sharply.
• Push Shot - Gentle shot played by pushing the
shuttle with little wrist motion, usually from net or
midcourt to the opponent’s midcourt.
• Racket - Instrument used by player to hit
shuttlecock Weight:About3 ounces. Length: 27
inches. Made of: Ceramic, graphite, or boron frame;
beef-gut string. Cost: $60-$175 (unstrung).
• Rally – this occurs when the players hit the bird
back and forth several times before one side scores
a point
• Serve or Service – players put the shuttlecock into
play for points by “serving” it to opponents, hitting
it over the net into a special part of the court near
their opponent
TERMINOLOGY
• Service Court - Area into which the serve must be
delivered. Different for singles and doubles play.
• Short Service Line - The line 6 l/2 feet from the net
which a serve must reach to be legal.
• Shuttlecock - the name for the object that players
hit, made of a ball of cork or rubber with a crown of
feathers in an open conical shape.
• Smash – when a shuttle is floated high into the air, a
player has time to unleash a powerful overhand
shot straight to the floor of the opposing court
• Wood Shot - Shot that results when the base of the
shuttle is hit by the frame of the racket. Once illegal,
this shot was ruled acceptable by the International
Badminton Federation in 1963.