Frequently asked questions

What is the standard of play in the club and is there a minimum standard to join?

The standard of play in club is quite broad, ranging from Club/League to County standard. Most players in the club enjoy the game and like to be challenged during club nights, so if you are a beginner you may find it a struggle, but if you are a confident and active player and enjoy the game you should thrive within the club. The best way to find out is to come along to a club night and try us out. That way you can see for yourself if you might fit in and we can also give you guidance to help you decide if this is the club for you.

Can I come along and try a club night without joining?

Yes, and we would encourage you to do so. The fee would be the current standard nightly fee of £5 (Seniors) or £3 (Juniors).

What costs are involved if I decide to play with the club?

Pay and Play Membership
Seniors: £5 per night
Juniors: £3 per night (ie. students in full-time education)
 
Visitors
The charges above apply to visitors as well as regulars.
 
Club Membership
In the past the club offered a season long membership option but this was put on hold following the pandemic. It may return in future depending on the situation.

Does the club participate in any Competitions or Leagues?

During the pandemic, the Norwich and District league was forced to cancel the 2020/21 season and the club withdrew our teams from the league. Unfortunately, we've not had the interest within the club to re-enter the teams so we don't currently participate in any leagues.

Does the club play all year round?

Officially the club only plays during the normal Badminton season from September through March/April. 

In past seasons, members have sometimes arranged weekly ad-hoc games through the summer for which there was a reasonable turnout. Invited guests from other clubs or individuals seeking to play throughout the summer months are always welcome to play at these games.

What kind of shuttles do you play with and what equipment would I need to bring?

We play with feather shuttles both during and out of season. These are provided by the club during the normal badminton season, or by whoever is organizing the games out of season (Individual fees are adjusted to cover both the cost of the courts and shuttles out of season).

As well as a badminton racket you will need a pair of non-marking court shoes and some suitable sports clothing.

How do I join the club?

We currently operate the club on a Pay and Play basis so there is no requirement to join the club If you are interested in playing, please come along to a club night and speak to a committee member. Any of the regular players should be able to point you in the direction of a committee member. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact the club using the details on the left.

Do you offer Coaching and are Juniors encouraged to join?

Unfortunately we are not able to offer coaching at this time.

Juniors who have reached a good standard are encouraged to join us, but please bear in mind the general standard of play may not be suitable for all juniors. Please feel free to come along to a session to check out the club and speak to us if you have any questions.

Are there changing rooms and showers I can use at the club?

Yes, there are both male and female changing rooms and showers at The Venue. For further details on the facility please see their website.

https://www.sirjohnleman.co.uk/About-The-Venue/

Do I need to bring a partner for doubles games?

If you have a partner who you usually play with, then please feel free to bring them along. All of the same rules regarding fees etc. will apply equally to your partner. However, it is not necessary to bring a partner just in order to play doubles as the peg-board method of play that we use provides plenty of opportunity to select a partner from those players attending.

How many courts do you use, for how long, and how is play organized?

During the 2023/24 season, 2 courts are used for play. Courts are booked for 2.5 hours 7:30pm to 10pm and a Peg-Board system is used to allocate players and courts.

During the off-season, badminton sessions can be organised on an ad-hoc basis. The number of courts and duration will be based on the number of players committing to playing. On occasion we have had more people showing up for off-season badminton than for the regular club sessions in-season! Duration can vary but is generally 2 hours from 8pm to 10pm.

How does the Peg-board System work?

Beccles Badminton Club uses a peg-board system to organise player selection during club night games (the club can provide the peg for you). The pegboard is a very simple arrangement of three rows of pegs as detailed below.
  • Bottom Row: All Player pegs
  • Middle Row: Players waiting to play at the current session
  • Top Row: Players currently on court playing
These are the basic rules:
  • Each player should have a peg with their name on it available on the bottom row of the board.
  • Each visitor will be given a 'visitor' peg with their name on it.
  • When you first arrive at a club night, place your peg at the back of the queue on the Middle 'waiting to play' row.
  • The player whose peg is first in line in this row is 'next to choose' and may select any combination of 3 other players from the next seven pegs in that queue. (Visitors are not expected or required to select players and may ask the next regular player in line to make the selection for them).
  • If there are already players on court who have finished their game, the winning pair coming off of the court are responsible for removing their players pegs from the 'currently playing' area of the board and placing the pegs at the end of the 'waiting to play' queue with the winning pair ahead of the losing pair.
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