Badminton Rules & Definitions

Much like tennis, badminton is played with a net and a racquet, but instead of a ball, a rubber-tipped projectile called a shuttlecock or a birdie is used. Badminton has a long history and is a popular sport for family gatherings and impromptu play because it does not require a special court surface, and can be played in any backyard that has enough space to set up the net and allow for players to move around. There are a number of specific rules to learn in order to play the game properly.

  1. Toss

    • Before playing the game of badminton, you must engage in a toss. This is typically a coin toss that is called "in the air" by either player. If your choice was correct (heads or tails in a coin toss, for example), you receive the choice of either serving first, or starting the game on one side of the court or another. Your opponent then starts on the opposite side or serves second, depending upon the choice you made during the toss.

    Serving

    • To start a game of badminton, you begin by "serving" the shuttlecock, or hitting it over the net. In a "singles" game, where only two people are playing, you always serve from the right side of the court when your opponent has an even number of points scored during that game, and from the left side when they have scored an odd number of points so far. When playing with two people on each side, this process is reversed, and your teammate serves from the opposite court depending on the score so far.

    Scoring

    • Scoring in badminton is accomplished whenever the receiving side has a "fault," or fails to return the shuttlecock over the net to the opposite side, or if the shuttlecock goes out of play because of a failed attempt to return the serve. If the serving side commits the fault no point is awarded, and the other side gets the right to serve. Traditionally, badminton games were played to either 14 or 17 points, and tournaments were decided by the team winning the best of three games -- i.e., two out of three. However, the scoring format for competition badminton has changed to 21 point games in official matches.