Badminton is one of India’s most popular sports, with Olympic medals and world titles won by Indian players in the last decade and a half. Whether you play in a park or follow international matches, knowing the badminton rules makes the game more enjoyable. The official Laws of Badminton are set by the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
The match format
- A match is played as the best of three games.
- Each game is played to 21 points.
- Rally scoring is used: a point is won on every rally, no matter who served.
- If the score reaches 20 all, a player must lead by two points to win the game.
- If the score reaches 29 all, the side that wins the 30th point wins the game.
- The winner of a game serves first in the next game.
Intervals
When the leading side reaches 11 points in a game, players get an interval of up to 60 seconds. Between games, the interval is up to 120 seconds.
Service rules
- The server and receiver stand in diagonally opposite service courts.
- When the server’s score is even, they serve from the right service court. When it is odd, they serve from the left.
- The whole shuttle must be below 1.15 metres from the court surface at the moment it is hit. The BWF introduced this fixed height rule to make judging easier.
- Both feet of the server and receiver must be in contact with the court until the serve is made.
- The serve must travel diagonally and land within the receiver’s service court.
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Court lines
The singles court is narrower than the doubles court. For singles, the long thin side court is out but the back boundary is in. For doubles service, the long service line is closer, but during the rally the full doubles court is in play.
Common faults
- The shuttle lands outside the court lines.
- The shuttle passes through or under the net.
- A player touches the net with the body or racket while the shuttle is in play.
- A player hits the shuttle twice in a row, or both doubles partners hit it in succession.
- The shuttle hits the player’s body or clothing.
- A player reaches over the net to hit the shuttle, except in a follow through after hitting it on their own side.
Doubles rotation
In doubles, partners change service courts only when their side wins a point while serving. There is no second server; if the serving side loses the rally, the serve passes to the other side.
Let
A let is called for unforeseen situations, such as a shuttle from another court landing on yours. The rally is replayed.
Bottom line
Badminton rules are simple: 21 points, rally scoring and a fixed service height. Once you understand service courts and faults, you can follow any match with ease.
Source / स्रोत: Badminton World Federation: Laws of Badminton, Badminton Association of India
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