Rules of Badminton Game

In badminton, players stand on either side of a net and hit a shuttlecock back and forth with their rackets. A good stance, quick footwork and strong strokes are one half of the game. The other half is the rules. The rules decide who serves first, which court the service comes from, who wins each point, when a set ends and which actions count as faults. Because every player follows the same rules, the game stays fair and any argument is settled quickly.

Badminton has 20 main rules. Some explain how a game starts, some deal with the service, some with points and sets, and some apply only to doubles. Grouping them by what they are about makes them much easier to remember.

Before the game begins, the referee calls the players of both sides together and holds the toss. The side that wins the toss may choose either the service or the court. A player who likes to serve first chooses the service, and a player who finds one end easier to play from, perhaps because of the wind or the lights, chooses the court.

A game always begins with a service, and the very first service must be made from the right court. At the start both sides have a score of zero, which is why the first service comes from the right court.

Each half of the court is split by a centre line into a right service court and a left service court. In singles, the server looks at their own score to know which court to serve from:

• If the score is an even number (0, 2, 4, 6 ...), serve from the right court into the opponent's right court.
• If the score is an odd number (1, 3, 5, 7 ...), serve from the left court into the opponent's left court.
• Until a point has been scored, keep serving from the right court.

The two players face each other, so one player's right court is not straight across from the other's right court. It is diagonally opposite. That is why a service always travels diagonally across the net. In singles, the server must change service court each time they win a point. For example, a player who serves from the right at 0 serves from the left after winning a point to reach 1, and from the right again after reaching 2.

When serving, the shuttlecock must not land inside the opponent's short service line area. The short service line is drawn parallel to the net, close to it. A service that falls in the narrow strip between the net and this line is not a good service, so every service must travel past it.

During play, a player must not touch the net with any part of the body or with the racket. When the shuttlecock drops close to the net, a hand or racket can easily brush it in a hurry, so a player needs good balance when playing near the net.

Every rally ends with one side winning a point. If the serving side spoils its service or loses the rally, the opponent gets one point. If the opponent spoils the rally, the server gets one point. So whoever is serving, the point always goes to the side that wins the rally.

In doubles, two players from the same team share one side of the court. If their rackets clash while they are hitting the shuttlecock, it is a fault. If the rackets touch at any other time, it is not a fault.

When the opponents send the shuttlecock back into your court, either partner may hit it, whichever of the two finds it easier. There is no waiting for a turn. Partners who agree beforehand who covers the front and who covers the back are much less likely to clash rackets.

A badminton match is played over 3 sets, and to win the match a side must win two sets. If one side wins the first two sets, the match is over. If the sets are shared one each, the third set decides the winner.

If both players or teams reach 20 points each in a set, reaching 21 is not enough to end it. The side that first gets two points ahead wins the set. These scores are examples:

When serving, a player must not lift the shuttlecock above the waist and hit it there. The service stroke must be made below the waist.

After every set, the players of both sides change ends. In the final set, which is the third set, they also change ends once either side reaches 11 points. This way the wind, the lights or the floor never favour one side for the whole match.

A player must never throw the racket on the ground on purpose. If a player does, the referee shows a yellow card as a warning. A player who receives a yellow card twice is sent out of the game.

In men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles, the service rules are the same. After the toss, the players take their places in their own courts. The player standing in the right court of the team that chose to serve makes the first service. After that, one of two things happens:

• If the service is good and that team wins the rally, the same player serves again, but from the other service court. The service court changes with every point.
• If the server spoils the service or the team loses the rally, the turn to serve passes to the player in the right court of the other team, and that team also wins the point.

The rule that the player in the right court serves first applies only to the first service of each team. After that, the turn to serve moves from player to player. An example makes this clear. Team A has Ram and Shyam, and Team B has Raju and Hari. Ram of Team A makes the first service.

• Step 1: Ram serves. If Ram's service fails or Team A loses the rally, Team B wins one point and also gets the chance to serve.
• Step 2: Now Raju of Team B serves. If Raju's service fails or Team B loses the rally, Team A wins one point and gets the service back.
• Step 3: This time Shyam of Team A serves. If Shyam's service fails or Team A loses the rally, Team B wins one point and gets the service.
• Step 4: Next it is Hari's turn for Team B. The service keeps passing in turn like this until the game ends.

While a service is being made, the player who is to receive it must not move. The receiver stands still in place until the service has been hit.

In doubles, the server's partner and the receiver's partner may stand anywhere on their side of the court except inside the short service line area.

In doubles, a served shuttlecock that lands in the 76 cm area at the back of the court is a fault. In singles, a service landing in that same area is not a fault. So a doubles service has to be a little shorter, landing in front of that 76 cm strip at the back.

After each set there is a break of 5 minutes. Players use it to rest, drink water and get ready for the next set.

If, while serving, the racket misses the shuttlecock in the air completely, the player is allowed to serve again. In other words, a swing that does not touch the shuttlecock at all does not lose the point.

A badminton match is run by 6 officials in all. Here they are, with how many of each there are:

The rules themselves show two of the referee's jobs: holding the toss before the game and showing the yellow card to a player who throws the racket on purpose. The linesmen watch whether the shuttlecock lands inside or outside the lines, the service judge checks that each service follows the rules, and the scorer keeps the score. The umpire makes the decisions about play on the court.

• Rule 1: The referee holds a toss before play; the winner chooses the service or the court.
• Rule 2: The game starts with a service, and the first service is from the right court.
• Rule 3: In singles, serve right to right on an even score and left to left on an odd score; until a point is scored, serve from the right.
• Rule 4: In singles, the service court changes when a point is won.
• Rule 5: A service must not land in the opponent's short service line area.
• Rule 6: Never touch the net with the body or the racket.
• Rule 7: Spoil the service or lose the rally and the opponent scores; if the opponent spoils the rally, the server scores.
• Rule 8: In doubles, partners' rackets clashing while hitting is a fault; at other times it is not.
• Rule 9: In doubles, whichever partner finds it easier may hit the shuttlecock.
• Rule 10: A set is 21 points, a match is 3 sets, 2 sets win; after 20:20 a two-point lead is needed.
• Rule 11: A service must not be hit above the waist.
• Rule 12: Ends change after every set, and in the third set also at 11 points.
• Rule 13: Throwing the racket on purpose earns a yellow card; two yellow cards mean being sent out.
• Rule 14: In doubles, the player in the right court of the serving team serves first; the service court changes with every point.
• Rule 15: After the first services, players of both teams serve in turn.
• Rule 16: The receiver must not move during the service.
• Rule 17: In doubles, both partners may stand anywhere except in the short service line area.
• Rule 18: In doubles, a service landing in the 76 cm back area is a fault; in singles it is not.
• Rule 19: There is a 5 minute break after every set.
• Rule 20: If the racket misses the shuttlecock on a service, the player may serve again.