Crossminton is a recket game founded in Berlin in 2001. It is previously known as speed badminton. The reason for the name change was to separate this sport further from traditional badminton and create a unique identity for crossminton. It combines the best of tennis, squash and badminton into one activity you can play anytime, anywhere! It is played without net, the field consists of two squares measuring 5.5 x 5.5 m, placed at a distance of 12.8 m from each other. The rackets look a lot like squash rackets, and the ball is called a speeder. Speeder is shorter, heavier and narrower than the Badminton ball. It flies stably outside; it is waterproof and there is a possibility to glow in the dark with the use of additional sticks on it. The objective of the game is to score points by either making a point (speeder hits the ground inside the opponents’ court) or forcing the opponent into making a mistake (not returning the speeder into your court). Players serve in intervals of 3 consecutive serves each, the serve is made as a below-wrist shot. To win a set, a player needs to score 16 points. To win a match, a player needs to win 2 sets. Doubles can also be played by the same rules and in the same courts.
Since its existence, this sport has gone through a certain development of equipment, but also changes that had the effect of turning it from recreational to competitive sport. Today there is one organization called the International Crossminton Organization (ISO) which deals with the organization of European and World championships, it takes care of data on clubs from all over the world (crossminton is played mostly in Europe, but it is also played in Australia, the USA as well as in Brazil and Mauritius), as well as the ranking of professional players, of both sexes.
As you can see, this sport is easy to play. The field can be on any surface, concrete, grass, sand, it can be played outside and inside. You just need a little will, desire and the right equipment. The wind (of some normal strength) is also not an obstacle, there are even rubber rings, which can be placed on the speeder, to make it heavier and thereby help the wind not have an excessive influence on the game. It’s great for recreation, it’s dynamic, and who knows, maybe you’ll like it so much that one day you’ll want to play it professionally.
