The Birdie Rules
1. Be respectful of other players, spectators, judges - and Czars! No bad language, no name calling, and no bullying! If there is a disagreement, accept the ruling of the Judges/Czar!
2. Have fun and play safely!
3. Each team should rotate the serve between each of its 3 players.
4. The player serving should stand at least 1 racket length behind the net. A serve cannot be slammed downward over the net. A player may try 3 times to hit it over the net. If unsuccessful after 3 attempts, the serve goes to the other team - but no point is scored.
5. Only one player on a team can hit the birdie to get it over the net.
6. Once a birdie is hit over the net, any player on the other team may hit it back. Hitting the birdie back and forth is a “volley”.
7. When the birdie hits the floor, or the body of another player, or an object off the court, the “volley” is over.
8. Where the birdie “comes to rest” (i.e., stops moving) determines if the birdie is “in” (in-bounds) or “out” (out-of-bounds). This way, no one needs to argue about where the birdie hit the floor.
9. If the birdie went over the net and “came to rest” in-bounds, then the team who last hit the birdie over the net has scored a point.
10. If a team hits the birdie but it does not go over the net, or “comes to rest” out-of-bounds, then the point goes to the other team.
11. If a player’s racket may not hit another player, or go over/into the net. A player may not crash into another player or the net. Repeated “reckless” actions such as these may result in a one game suspension for that player, with no player substitution.
12. The Court Judge and the Czar have the authority to suspend certain rules in order to foster fun and fairness.
The Birdie-Bash is a family friendly fundraising event to benefit the youth served by Essex CHIPS. It consists of 3-4 separate mini-tournaments. Teams are comprised of 3 players. Each team will play 5-7 games in a tournament according to the official Birdie-Bash rules (which are a bit different than regular badminton rules). Tournament winners are awarded trophies, but "Wild Card" trophies are also given at the end of each tournament for a variety of outstanding achievements by players and teams, such as Team Spirit, Best Costuming, Team Dance, Enthusiasm, and more.
Teams must pre-register online and fill out a consent form prior to playing. The Birdie Bash is a fundraiser for programs at Essex CHIPS that directly support youth all over Vermont, so teams are encouraged to find sponsors or donate themselves.
The Birdie Bash is growing in size every year and is fun for the entire family!
Register Your Team
Registration for the 2020 Vermont Birdie-Bash has closed. We had a blast!