Badminton Rules and How to Score

Badminton is similar to both tennis and table tennis in that a small projectile is hit back and forth between players over a net. Unlike those other sports, badminton uses a lightweight rubber or foam knob affixed with feathers called a "shuttlecock" in place of tennis or table tennis balls. The floaty nature of the projectile produces a slower game, making badminton a popular sport for the very young, the elderly and people who are disabled.

Things You'll Need

  • Flat playing surface
  • Badminton net
  • Shuttlecock
  • Badminton rackets
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Instructions

  1. Setting Up

    • 1

      Determine your court boundaries. An official badminton court is 44 ft. long and either 17 ft. wide (for singles) or 22 ft. wide (for doubles). A net splits the court in half and is positioned 5 ft. above the ground.

    • 2

      Position yourself on one side of the net, with your opponent or opponents standing on the other. Grip your racket near the handle's base with your dominant hand.

    • 3

      Toss a coin to determine which player or team serves first.

    How To Score

    • 4

      Begin a "rally" by serving the shuttlecock over the net to your opponent with an upward, underhanded swing of your racket.

    • 5

      Return the shuttlecock after your opponent hits it back over the net to you. Do not hit the shuttlecock beyond the court boundary or into the net. Do not allow the shuttlecock to hit your body or the ground on your side of the net.

    • 6

      You win a rally when the shuttlecock strikes the ground on your opponent's side of the net and within the court boundaries. You can also win the rally by hitting your opponent with the shuttlecock. Winning the rally grants you the next serve, and sometimes a point.

    • 7

      Score points by winning a rally after serving the shuttlecock. If you did not serve the shuttlecock but win the rally, the serve passes to you but you do not win a point.

    • 8

      Win the game by scoring 15 points before the opposing team or player (during men's play) does. In women's play, games end after one player or team scores 11 points.

    • 9

      Switch playing sides of the court with your opponent or opposing team.

    • 10

      Win the match by winning two out of three games.