How to Decide a Tie in Badminton

The original badminton scoring system required three games to be played per match. The person or team who won two of three was declared the winner. Games were played until one team reached 15 points. However, the Badminton World Federation has started holding tournaments where games are played to 21 points. No matter which rules you play under, one thing is for sure, the game cannot end in a tie. Therefore, there are some rules that help break a tie.

Instructions

  1. 15-+Point Game

    • 1

      Stop the game when both parties are tied at 14. Some rules stipulate that women play to 11 points, however, that rule is not always applied. In the case of an 11-point game, stop when tied at 10.

    • 2

      Ask the side who reached 14 first (or 10 for the women) how they want to proceed. Official rules allow the team that reached the score first to choose. The game can either be played until 15 or 11 for women -- or until 17 for men and 13 for women.

    • 3

      Select when the game will end and play until one team achieves that result.

    21-Point Game

    • 4

      Stop the game when both teams reach 20 points. Unlike the 15-point game, there is no choice for players to make. The game simply continues until one team wins by two.

    • 5

      Continue play until the score is tied at 29. The exception to the rule is that the first team to reach 30 is the winner.

    • 6

      Play the last serve until one team wins the point, thus winning the game by a score of 30-29.