Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players (singles) or two opposing pairs (doubles), who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their opponents’ half of the court.

A rally ends once the shuttlecock has struck the floor, or if a fault has been called by the umpire. The players use their racquets to strike a shuttlecock (a feathered or plastic projectile) back and forth. The shuttlecock is usually hit above the waist and players are allowed to use any part of the body to strike it.

The shuttlecock must fall within the playing area and may touch the ground only once. Except for the serve, players must allow a ball played to bounce one time before striking it. A player may not hit the ball twice consecutively. The game is played on a rectangular court of 78 feet by 27 feet.