What is it?

• This is an indoor game for two or four people played with rackets and shuttlecock on a marked court with a high net.    

• Much badminton playing is purely for fun, but there are club competitions at local and national levels.

Find out more

Organisations

Badminton Association of England  www.baofe.co.uk/index_main.html

Magazines

Badminton 
The Badminton Times

Getting started

• Find a local badminton group or club (see organisations above).

• Take a class or course at your local hall or sports centre.

• Consult books or magazines on the basics of badminton.

• Check in your local library/paper or sports centre for more information.

What you need

Skills and people

• Badminton is easy to learn and it can be played by people of all ages and physical abilities, and both sexes. 

• You need at least someone else to stand at the other side of the net and hit the shuttlecock back to you. 

• Badminton is often played by men and women in mixed doubles, as well as singles and same sex doubles. 

• It is better if the people you play with are of roughly the same standard as yourself, but they need not be the same age or sex.

Equipment or clothing

• Rackets and shuttlecock are essential;  they may be available at the place you play. 

• Trainers or the equivalent type of sport shoes are generally required, plus clothing that you can move in easily and run around. 

• Special clothing is may be worn for formal matches.

A place or facilities

• A special net and posts are needed, plus a marked court area in a hall with reasonable height. 

• There are facilities in many schools and village and community halls, as well as most sports centres.