To play badminton, players hit a shuttlecock over a net with a racquet. Two or four people play a match at a time. A shuttlecock is a piece of cork with 16 overlapping goose feathers in it. A shuttle weighs between 4.74 and 5.50 grams.

Players must not let the shuttlecock hit the ground. If they do, the opposing player scores a point. In men's badminton the first player to reach 15 points wins the game. In women's matches the first to reach 11 points wins.

Badminton became an Olympic event in 1992. There are 4 events for men and women.

Did you know?
Badminton is named after the home of the Duke of Beaufort. The house is in Gloucestershire, England, and the game was often played there from 1873.

But some people think that the sport may have begun in China as a kicking game as long ago as 500BC.

Go here for more information about Badminton and links to other sites

There are some fast facts about the sport here
http://www.badminton.org.au/index.php?id=4

Go here to read about badminton at the London 2012 Olympic Games: http://www.london2012.com/badminton

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updated April 2012