Crossminton, previously known as Speed Badminton, is a racket game that combines elements from different sports like badminton, squash and tennis. It is played without any net and has no prescribed playground, so it can be executed on tennis courts, streets, beaches, fields or gyms.
The sport is often associated with the brand Speedminton because of their historical relation. From 1 January 2016 the name of the racket sport has been changed from Speed Badminton to Crossminton. Today, Crossminton is played all around the world. Currently, there are tournaments all over the world which are organized by a growing number of clubs. On 25 August 2011, the International Crossminton Organization (ICO) was founded under the name International Speed Badminton Organisation (ISBO) in Berlin. By 2018 the ICO already had 26 members – national federations from Europe, America, Asia and Africa.
History The special shuttlecock and the concept of the game were invented in 2001 in Berlin by Bill Brandes."Speed Badminton – ein Sport, den es ohne Berliner nicht gäbe – Berlin-Sport – Berliner Morgenpost" The game was later refined into its final form, crossminton by the Speedminton company. The inventor first named his new sport "shuttleball", but soon the game was renamed "speed badminton". Starting from January 2016 the name was changed again, to crossminton. Originally, the idea of the inventor was to create an outdoor variant of badminton, so he changed the ball to be smaller and heavier (today called speeder). The analogy of badminton now exists only in a technical way: there is no net and the game tempo is faster. In 2003, there were already 6,000 active players in Germany. The sport is growing steadily and there are numerous international tournaments across Europe.
Game
Court
The court consists of two squares of 5.50 m (18 ft) length. They are fixed opposite to each other at a distance of 12.8 m (42 ft).
Equipment Both of the players need a racket. The rackets are similar to the ones used in squash but are specially produced for Crossminton. They are 58–60 cm long, and the material and the strings are different. The shuttlecock is called a speeder and is heavier than a conventional badminton shuttlecock, meaning it can be used up to wind force 4.
Speeder-Type Flight distance Speed Fun Speeder 13–18 m 260 km/h Match Speeder 17–25 m 290 km/h
Rules The field consists of two squares measuring 5.5 meters (18 ft) on each side. The distance between the squares is 12.8 meters (42 ft). Crossminton can be played on half of a tennis court which can easily be modified with elastic lines. Match Speeders are used for normal games. Children and adolescents (U12) play with fun speeders on a smaller court (4x4 m) over a smaller distance (9 meters).
The aim of the game is to reach the square of the opposite player with the speeder. If the speeder falls outside the opposite square, the other side gains a point. Both players are allowed to step out of, or anywhere inside their square during play.
The game ends when one player has at least 16 points and has at least 2 points advantage over their opponent. Every time a set/round finishes, the players switch sides.
Match A game ends when one player reaches 16 points. If the score is tied at 15 or greater, play continues until one player has a two-point advantage. A match usually consists of two winning sets (best of three).
Service The right to serve first is drawn by throwing a coin or a speeder. Every player has three serves. Every rally scores. At a score of 15:15 the serve switches after every point. The serve must be done out of the designated zone which is 3 m behind the front offensive line. This line must not be crossed and the serve is played bottom-up. The first serve of the next set is done by the loser of the previous set.
Points Every rally scores if there is no necessity to repeat it. Points can be gained if: the serve is not correct the speeder touches the floor or the roof the speeder lands in the opposite court and cannot be returned the speeder lands outside the court (the lines count as being within the court) the speeder is touched two times immediately after each other the speeder touches the body
If a player returns a speeder from outside the court, it is considered to still be in play.
Change of ends After every set, there is a change of ends to guarantee equal opportunities concerning wind and lighting conditions. If a third game (tiebreak) becomes necessary, players change sides after every 6 points.
Variants Doubles : The doubles match is played on a single court. At the doubles division, both players are standing in the same court. The coin or speeder decides the side who serves first. The serving player stands at the backline, and their partner stands in front. The serves rotate between the four players. The first serve in the following set goes to the loser of the previous one.
Black lighting : Crossminton can be played at night with fluorescent equipment and black light. Crossminton can be played outside and inside; the court can be painted or pegged off. There is even the possibility to use a portable court. Crossminton, which is played in the dark, is called Blackminton. With black lights, fluorescent paints, rackets and special speeders (night speeders) with glow sticks (speedlights) it is possible to play even at night.
International Crossminton Organisation
International Crossminton Organisation was founded in 2011. 36 nation members in March 2025:
Asia (6): ,,,,, Oceania (0): – Africa (3): ,, Americas (4): ,,, Europe (23):
BEL, BUL, CRO, CZE, ENG, FRA, GER, HUN, ISR, LAT, NED, NOR, POL, ROU, RUS, SRB, SVK, SLO, SPA, SWE, SUI, TUR, UKR.
World & European Championships The first Crossminton (former Speed Badminton) World Championships took place on 26 and 27 August 2011. It was officially named ‘ISBO Azimut Hotels Speedminton® World Championships’. Over 380 participants from 29 countries played in Berlin, in 10 categories. Players from Canada, the US and Australia also attended. Per Hjalmarson from Sweden won the men's title, Janet Köhler from Germany won the women's title and Rene Lewicki & Daniel Gossen from Germany won the doubles title in the final games. Since then the World and European Championships alternate every year. +Overview of World & European Crossminton Championships – adults & U18 (U19 since 2021)YearTournamentCityOpen divisionFemale openOpen doublesFemale doublesMixed doublesU18 (U19 since 2021) male U18 (U19 since 2021) femaleChampionRunner-upChampionRunner-upChampionRunner-upChampionRunner-upChampionRunner-upChampionRunner-upChampionRunner-up20111. ICO Crossminton World Championships Berlin Per Hjalmarson Daniel Gossen Janet Köhler Jasmina Keber Daniel Gossen René Lewicki Per Hjalmarson Björn Karlssonnot playednot played Tomáš Pavlovský Dasen Jardas Alexandra Kacviňská Lenka Levková20123. ISBO European Championships Poreč Per Hjalmarson Mattias Aronsson Jasmina Keber Ágnes Darnyik Mattias Aronsson Per Hjalmarson Samo Lipušček Robi Titovšek Krisztina Bognar Ágnes Darnyik Helena Halas Jasmina Keber Daniel Gossen Jennifer Greune Tomáš Pavlovský Alexandra Kacviňská Tomáš Pavlovský Jakub Kosicki Zita Ruby Alexandra Kacviňská20132. ICO Crossminton World Championships Berlin Patrick Schüsseler Melker Ekberg Jasmina Keber Marta Soltys Mattias Aronsson Per Hjalmarson Ivo Junker Severin Wirth Krisztina Bognar Ágnes Darnyik Barbora Syč-Kriváňová Lucia Syč-Kriváňová Daniel Gossen Jennifer Greune Tomáš Pavlovský Alexandra Kacviňská Bence Pálinkás Tomáš Pavlovský Alexandra Kacviňská Tea Grofelnik20144. ISBO European Championships Warsaw Per Hjalmarson Mladen Stankovic Jasmina Keber Jennifer Greune Tomasz Kaczmarek Marcin Ociepa Mattias Aronsson Per Hjalmarson Krisztina Bognar Ágnes Darnyik Janina Karasek Marta Soltys Daniel Gossen Jennifer Greune Matjaž Šusteršič Jasmina Keber Bence Pálinkás Jaša Jovan Nikola Bariaková Terezia Gibalová20153. ICO Crossminton World Championships Berlin Per Hjalmarson Myhailo Mandryk Jasmina Keber Janet Köhler Mattias Aronsson Per Hjalmarson Patrick Schüsseler David Zimmermanns Janina Karasek Marta Soltys Andrea Horn Verena Horn Melker Ekberg Rebecca Nielsen Matjaž Šusteršič Jasmina Keber Nico Franke Saudo Tejada Dámaso Eliška Andrlová Danaja Knez20165. ICO European Championships Gouesnou David Zimmermanns Sönke Kaatz Danaja Knez Rebecca Nielsen Patrick Schüsseler David Zimmermanns Mattias Aronsson Per Hjalmarson Andrea Horn Franziska Ottrembka Alexandra Desfarges Julie Guyot Melker Ekberg Rebecca Nielsen Tamás Dósza Ágnes Darnyik Nico Franke Szymon Andrzejewski Lori Škerl Rebeka Škerl20174. ICO Crossminton World Championships Warsaw Per Hjalmarson Marcin Ociepa Ágnes Darnyik Janet Köhler Robin Joop Sönke Kaatz Patrick Schüsseler David Zimmermanns Krisztina Bognar Ágnes Darnyik Anna Hubert Franziska Ottrembka Melker Ekberg Rebecca Nielsen Ján Ščavnický Tamara Lukáčová Jaša Jovan Nico Franke Eliška Andrlová Lori Škerl20186. ICO Speedminton European Championships 2018 Skien Petr Makrlík Per Hjalmarson Eliška Andrlová Marta Urbanik Petr Makrlík Daniel Knoflíček Patrick Schüsseler David Zimmermanns Andrea Horn Anja Rolfes Sabina Schabek Marta Urbanik Melker Ekberg Rebecca Nielsen Nikola Kucina Paula Barković Dávid Takács Maciej Filipowicz Anna Andrlová Nika Miškulin20195. ICO Crossminton World Championships Budapest Per Hjalmarson Myhailo Mandryk Jasmina Keber Lori Škerl Patrick Schüsseler David Zimmermanns Petr Makrlík Daniel Knoflíček Lori Škerl Danaja Knez Andrea Horn Anja Rolfes Yurina Abe Akihiko Nishimura Sebastian Christoph Anna Hubert Shameem Elaheebocus Maciej Filipowicz Sendilla Mourat Georgina Veres20206. ICO European Championships 2020 (Cancelled : COVID-19 pandemics) 2021 6. ICO Crossminton World Championships (played in 2022 due to COVID-19 pandemics) Zagreb Akihiko Nishimura Petr Makrlík Yurina Abe Jasmina Keber Šušteršič Ivo Junker Severin Wirth Petr Makrlík Daniel Knoflíček Jasmina Keber Šušteršič Danaja Knez Tereza Hogenová Tereza Šimková Yurina Abe Akihiko Nishimura Pál Pádár Edit Osvay Arturs Dzirkalis Mateusz Faska Zuzana Holesinska Katarína Daduľáková20237. ICO Crossminton World Championships 2024 Brno20247. ICO European Championships 2024 Balatonboglár
International tournaments There are many international crossminton tournaments taking place all around the world under the supervision of the International Crossminton Organization. Every member country can host up to one 1000/500 points tournament and four 250 points tournaments every year. There are only five 1000 points tournaments every year, chosen by the ICO based on the applications sent by member federations. The series of 1000 and 500 points tournaments is called World Series.
By participating in international ICO tournaments the players receive ranking points based on their results. Ranking points are used to determine seeding for upcoming tournaments.
+World Series Tournaments in 2018DateTournamentCityOpen DivisionFemale OpenOpen DoublesChampionRunner-upChampionRunner-upChampionRunner-up17.-18.3.201810. ICO Speedminton® Slovenian Open Laško Myhailo Mandryk Melker Ekberg Jasmina Keber Lori Škerl Melker Ekberg Petr Makrlík Jaša Jovan David Zimmermanns28.-29.4.201810. ICO Speedminton® Hungarian Open Kiskunfélegyháza Petr Makrlík Per Hjalmarson Jasmina Keber Ágnes Darnyik Per Hjalmarson Petr Makrlík Grzegorz Chmielewski Tomasz Moskal5.-6.5.201811. ICO Speedminton® Croatian Open Zagreb Petr Makrlík Jaša Jovan Lori Škerl Eliška Andrlová Adam Kakula Petr Makrlík Marcel Herrmann David Zimmermanns19.-20.5.20189. ICO Speedminton® SLOVAK Open Banská Bystrica Petr Makrlík Myhailo Mandryk Lori Škerl Barbora Syč-Kriváňová Melker Ekberg Petr Makrlík Adam Kakula Andrej Ostrihoň1.-2.6.2018ICO Speedminton® Japan Open Tokyo David Zimmermanns Olivér Vincze Yuka Nishimura Andrea Horn Shinichi Nagata