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 ground, and each side may only strike the shuttlecock once before it passes over the net. The shuttlecock (or shuttle) is a feathered projectile whose unique aerodynamic properties cause it to fly differently from the balls used in most racquet sports; in particular, the feathers create much higher drag, causing the shuttlecock to decelerate more rapidly than a ball. Shuttlecocks have a much higher top speed, when compared to other racquet sports. Because shuttlecock flight is affected by wind, competitive badminton is best played indoors. Badminton is also played outdoors as a casual recreational activity, often as a garden or beach game. The game of badminton is usually played in these sets of rallies to the score of 15. The first team or player to reach 15 points wins the match. Most games according to official badminton instruction are played in games of three and the best two out of three games wins the match. However the International Badminton Federation has adopted a new scoring system called the Badminton 21 points scoring system. With the new scoring system eventually all badminton games will grow to be played in the new standard. The 21 points system has changed the scoring system to the first team to reach 21 points wins the game. Every time a rally is won the rally winning team adds one point to their score. If there is an instance where the score becomes tied 20 to 20 the side scoring the next 2 consecutive points will win the game. If the score reaches 29 to 29 with no winner which ever team wins the 30th point will win the game.
