Badminton is a racket sport where players use a shuttlecock to hit the ball over a net and into their opponent's side of the court: 

Players: Two players (singles) or two pairs (doubles) play on opposite sides of the court 

Court: The court is 44 ft long by 17 ft wide for singles and 44 ft long by 20 ft wide for doubles 

Net: The net is 5 ft high 

Scoring: Players win a point for each serve, and a match is won by winning two out of three games of 21 points 

Shuttlecock: A shuttlecock is a projectile with a conical shape and a crown of feathers 

Badminton is often played casually outdoors, but formal games are played indoors on a rectangular court. The sport's name comes from Badminton House, the home of the Duke of Beaufort in Gloucestershire, England. The Duke is credited with introducing the modern version of badminton to his guests in 1873. The first All England Championships were held in 1899. Badminton made its Olympic debut as a demonstration spo

rt in 1972.