Badminton is a racquet sport in which players hit a badminton bird back and forth over a net.
Badminton features one player opposing another, or competing pairs. The game is played on a surface called a court. The object is to hit the bird past the opponent so it lands on the court, or to get the opposition to make a mistake and hit the bird into the net or outside the court.
The first player or pair to score 15 points wins the game, and the first to win two games wins the match.
Racquet – used to hit the bird, the racquet is shaped like a tennis racquet and has strings, but weighs much less
Bird – also called the birdie, it is badminton’s version of a tennis ball – it has a small ball at the front to give it speed, and feathers to help it float when it is hit high into the air, allowing a player to get under it for a shot
Shoes – special court shoes are worn to allow players to move quickly across the court, and to give them traction for quick starts and stops in this fast-moving sport
Smash – when a bird is floated high into the air, a player has time to unleash a powerful overhand shot straight to the floor of the opposing court
Serve – players put the bird into play for points by “serving” it to opponents, hitting it over the net into a special part of the court near their opponent
Rally – this occurs when the players hit the bird back and forth several times before one side scores a point