Badminton Rules for Children

Badminton is a popular racket sport for children to play on a court or in their own backyards. Equipment sets are readily available and inexpensive. Badminton equipment includes a net, rackets and a birdie or shuttle. Courts are usually 20 feet wide and 44 feet long with a center net, that is five feet high. However, you may adjust these dimensions and heights for young children who are starting to learn the game.

  1. Starting the Game

    • Badminton games have either two players or four players in two teams. Players stand on opposite sidea of the net. To begin the game, one player serves the birdie to the other team. To serve, have your child hold the birdie with an outstretched arm at waist height. He will swing his racket with the opposite hand in an underhand motion as he drops the birdie toward the racket. A serve is successful if the birdie goes over the net to the opposing players. If your child misses the birdie or hits the net, have her serve again. The child or team that starts the game only serves once. After the initial serves, each player or team gets two serves in a row.

    Scoring Points

    • After a player serves, the opposite team should try to hit the birdie back over the net. Rallying is a badminton term used when the players are hitting the birdie back and forth across the net. A player scores a point when he hits the birdie over the net and it lands on the ground. Points can also be scored when an opponent hits the birdie into the net or outside of the court. Each score is worth one point.

    Winning a Game and Match

    • The first player to reach 15 points wins the game. Older children may play a game to a score of 21 points. A player wins the match when she wins two games. Have your children practice good sportsmanship during and after each game and match.