Black Card in Badminton: What does the Black Card Mean?

The Black Card, in its rarity, is probably a good thing. It’s not something you want to see flashed in your direction, unless you’re collecting them, which, let’s be honest, is probably not a hobby you want to admit to. Alongside the Red and Yellow cards, the Black Card in Badminton is a punishment are given to badminton players whenever an umpire feels that the players are engaging in misconduct. But what constitutes misconduct? Is it arguing with the umpire, throwing your racket in frustration, or perhaps wanting give boxing a go while you’re on the court? (Yes that really happened, just read on!)

Here, we will break down these badminton rules that sit on the niche side of the sport

Understanding the Black Card in Badminton: Its Significance and Meaning

The Black Card in badminton is given to a player that has displayed excessive misconduct. Receiving a Black Card means the player is disqualified from the match immediately. The Black Card follows a Red Card Which is also given to the player if they are breaching the events code of conduct. The Black Card also removes the player or team from the competition entirely, so unlike a sport such as soccer, the game doesn’t go on with one less player.

So… What does the Red Card in Badminton Mean Then?

The Red Card is similar to the Black card in that it penalizes players or teams that display misconduct on the badminton court. The Red Card is Always Given After a Yellow Card. The punishment that follows a Red Card is the opposing side wins a point, officially called a “fault”. As with all the Cards, it is entirely up to the umpire to decide whether a behaviour is worthy of a yellow red or black card. This is similar to tennis, where players get a warning before they start forfeiting points games and matches.

an umpire showing a red card, the predecessor to the black card in badminton

Yellow Card in Badminton, What Does it Mean.

The Yellow Card is the least significant of the Three. This card is given to players who, once again, misbehave on the badminton court. Umpires are right their on the court with the players however, so most of the time the umpire will give a bunch of verbal warnings before even the yellow card comes out. This is because sometimes players might accidentally breach the rules or they are able to adjust their behaviour after one or two warnings by the umpire. This is what makes the Yellow, Red and Black Cards so rare. Their really needs to be a good reason for them to be used.

Most Famous Uses of a Black Card in Badminton

London 2012 Olympics Throwing Scandal

In the 2012 London Olympics four Teams Began to blatantly throw matches at the highest level of play. Why you might ask? Because the way the tournament worked, losing specific matches would tactically makes sense in order to have a better chance of getting the gold, as the tournament did not work on an elimination system. Therefore the Top Teams in the world including China and South Korea, intentionally played badly in order to verse easier countries in the final stages. All four teams were disqualified with black cards.

Bodin Issara VS Maneepong Jongjit

One of the only times high level badminton got seriously violent was when former Thai Badminton Player Bodin Issara versed his former Doubles Partner in a doubles match for the first time. After some verbal stabs at each other through the net, Bodin Issara lost his temper and chased down Maneepong Jongjit. The two exchanged punches after Bodin tackled Maneepong and the fight eventually broke up with officials and teammates peeling the two players off each other. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has handed out a two-year ban to Bodin Issara, while Maneepong Jongjit received a three-month suspension.