USA Badminton Rules

Basics

• A badminton match consists of three games, during which players use rackets to hit a shuttle back and forth from opposing sides of a net. The winning player or two-person team wins two of the three games. The winning side is the first to score 21 points. Generally, a side scores a point when the opposing side fails to hit the shuttle and the shuttle lands within the court boundaries.

Regulation Court

• The rules specify the dimensions of the court, the types of markings and the height of the badminton net. The court is 13.4 meters long by 6.1 meters wide. Marked play sections include the short service line, long service line, right service court and left service court. The right and left courts are divided by the center line. The posts that hold the net must be 1.55 meters in height, measured from the surface of the badminton court.

Equipment

• A traditional shuttle is a rounded piece of cork covered in leather with feathers attached as a "skirt." The rules also now allow for shuttles made out of synthetic materials. A badminton racket may be up to 680 mm in length. It consists of a long, thin handle with an oval-shaped head at the top. The head is strung in a woven pattern.

Serving

• Serving is when one player begins a segment of play, known as a rally, by hitting the shuttle over the net to the opposing court. The player with the right to serve is the last player or side who scored a point. The first server is decided by a toss. The server stands on the left side of the court if he has earned an odd number of points at that point in the game and on the right side if he has an even number of points. In doubles play, serving rotates between all four players in a specified order.

Scoring

• Either the serving or receiving player can earn a point during a rally. A point is earned when the shuttle hits the ground on the opposing side of the net, or the opposing side commits a fault. Although a game typically ends when one side reaches 21 points, there must be at least a two-point difference between the sides. If both sides have 20 points, play will continue until one side is two points ahead, i.e. 22-20 or 23-21.

Types of Fouls

• An "error" is when an improper procedure is used, such as the wrong person serving. The error must be corrected before play continues. A "fault" occurs in many circumstances, including: when the shuttle makes contact with something other than a player's racket or is hit improperly, a player hits the shuttle more than one consecutive time, or the shuttle goes out of bounds. If a player is charged with a fault, the opposing side earns a point. An umpire can also declare a "let" for certain circumstances, such as the server and receiver both being faulted. In a let, no points are scored and play resumes with the previous server.