A SPORTING GAME THAT WAS DEVELOPED LESS THAN 10 years ago in Germany is sweeping Europe and gaining fans everywhere.

SPEEDMINTON is basically the game of Badminton without the net and with a few adjustments.  For one thing, the shuttlecock, or birdie,  is much heavier and made of sturdier stuff.  They offer less wind resistance thanks to their higher weight and smaller, streamlined basket. Altogether, they achieve much greater distances - up to 100 ft. - and a more precise flight path.

(left) match speeder; (right) night speeder

The players stand in an outlined square and must hit the “speeder” (as the new-style birdie is called) into the opponent’s square.  The two boxes are 18′ x 18′ and are 42 ft. apart.

An advantage of the game is that investment in equipment is slight.  All you need are two rackets and a speeder, and you can stop and play it literally anywhere.

Rooftop Speedminton is NOT recommended for beginners.

Another interesting variation is called Blackminton.  The speeder has a lighted capsule inserted into it and the game is played in the dark.  The players will sometimes don fluorescent-enhanced clothing to add to the atmosphere.

Next month Liverpool, England, will be playing host to the first-ever European Championships.

Click to play the Speedminton promo VIDEO

Speedminton official WEBSITE.

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