Badminton Terms Study Notes

Badminton Terms Study Notes

• Alley: Extension of the court by 1.5 feet on each side, designated for doubles play.
• Back Alley: Area between the back boundary line and the long service line in doubles gameplay.
• Backcourt: The back third of the badminton court, located near the back boundary lines.
• Balk (Feint): A deceptive movement to distract the opponent before or during a serve.
• Baseline: The back boundary line at both ends of the court, parallel to the net.
• Carry: An illegal move where the shuttle is caught and held on the racquet before being slung during a stroke.
• Center or Base Position: The central position in the court that a singles player aims to return to after playing a shot.
• Center Line: A line that divides the court into left and right service areas, running perpendicular to the net.
• Clear: A shot aimed deep into the opponent’s back boundary line.
• High Clear: A defensive shot that is hit high into the opponent's area.
• Attacking Clear: An offensive variant of the clear shot.
• Court: The area of play outlined by the outer boundary lines.
• Drive: A fast, low shot that travels horizontally over the net.
• Drop: A soft shot that falls quickly and closely to the net on the opponent's side.
• Fault: Any violation of the playing rules during a match.
• Flick: A quick motion of the wrist and forearm that surprises opponents by making a soft shot faster, commonly used in serves and at the net.
• Forecourt: The front third of the court, situated between the net and the short service line.
• Hairpin Net Shot: A shot executed just above the net that rises and sharply drops, resembling a hairpin shape in its trajectory.
• Halfcourt Shot: A low shot directed to mid-court, effective against a back-and-forth defensive strategy in doubles.
• Kill: A swift, downward shot that is unreturnable, often referred to as a "putaway."
• Let: A legitimate pause in play that allows a rally to be replayed without penalty.
• Long Service Line: The back boundary line in singles play and a line 2.5 feet inside the back boundary in doubles; serves must not extend past this line.
• Match: A series of games played to determine a victor.
• Midcourt: The central third of the badminton court, positioned between the net and back boundary line.
• Net Shot: A shot executed from the forecourt that barely clears the net and quickly descends.
• Push Shot: A gentle shot delivered by pushing the shuttle with minimal wrist movement, typically from net or midcourt to the opponent’s midcourt.
• Racquet: The tool used by players to strike the shuttlecock.
• Rally: The sequence of shot exchanges occurring while the shuttlecock is in play.
• Serve: The initial stroke that starts a rally by getting the shuttlecock into play.
• Service Court: The specific area designated for receiving serves, with variations for singles and doubles.
• Short Service Line: The boundary line located 6.5 feet from the net that serves must cross to be deemed legal.
• Shuttlecock: The official name for the object that players hit during the game.
• Smash: A powerful overhead shot that forces the shuttlecock downwards; recognized as badminton's main attacking stroke.
• Wood Shot: A type of shot resulting from the shuttle being hit by the racket frame, which became legal in 1963.