The Rules & Regulations of the Badminton Association of India

Badminton and India are intertwined ---the game as it is played today---is said to have been invented there. The game was originally called "Poona," and was taken to England in the 1860's, where it was given the name "Badminton." In India, most of the recreational---as well as professional---games are based upon the rules of the Badminton Association of India.

  1. Scoring

    • The point total within an individual badminton game is 21, although within tournament play, women only play to 15. During tournaments, three games are played. The winner of two out of three matches is considered the champion. Players score points during "rally's"---or sequences of shots hit between the players---when one player can get the shuttle to hit the floor of the opposing player or get the opposing player to perform a fault.

    Faults

    • As a game that is very similar to tennis, badminton also contains "faults." These are considered errors of play and are favorable to the opponent during the game. Examples of faults include when the shuttle strikes the ceiling, or girders. Other faults include when the shuttle is hit out of bounds, or when the racket hits the shuttle twice.

      On the other hand, badminton also includes "lets," which are considered unavoidable circumstances that merely result in "re-do's." Examples of these include when the shuttle is damaged or gets stuck.

    Ties

    • In most parts of the world, badminton players must win by 2 points. Therefore, any two players that are tied at a score of 20 to 20 are required to get at least 2 points in a row and go beyond the usual winning score of 21. In India, tie-breakers are "sudden death," and when players are tied up at 20 to 20, the next point will be considered the winner; the score never goes beyond 21 for any individual player.

    Courts

    • Badminton is divided up into sides for each player; however, these individual halves are also divided up into service courts. When a player is on an odd point number, they will serve from their left service point. When a person is on an even point number, they serve from the right service court. In between each game---in the best of three series---players are required to switch halves during play.