English Badminton Rules

For those tired of plain old tennis, badminton is a delightful alternative. Within the English borders, Badminton England regulates the sport. The English squad trains under this organization and also prepares players to compete in the Olympic Games. Tournaments and games played within Badminton England are judged using the rules of the Badminton World Federation. Badminton is played on a rectangular court divided by a net that is 1.524 meters or 5 feet tall.

  1. Games and Matches

    • A game of badminton is over when one team or player wins 21 points. The winning team or player must have at least a 2 point lead. If there is not a 2 point lead, the game will continue past 21 points until one team or player gains a 2 point lead. A match consists of three games. If the game progresses and both teams have a score of 29, the first team to reach a score of 30 will win the game.

    Beginning the Game

    • The game begins with a coin toss. The team that wins the coin toss will choose whether it wishes to serve or receive or, alternatively, which end of the court it wants to play on. The other team will make the other choice.

      The team that wins the game will serve first in the following game. At the end of the first and second games, respectively, the players will change ends. If a third game is played, players will change sides after 11 points.

    Serving and Scoring

    • The server will toss the shuttle in the air and hit it over the net with the racket. The receiver will then hit the shuttle back to the server. Both sides continue to hit the shuttle until it hits the ground or is hit out of the court. This is called a rally.

      The team or player that wins the rally will score a point. If the server wins the rally, the server will serve again. However, if the receiver wins the rally, the receiver will become the server.