Simple Rules of Badminton

Badminton is a sport much like tennis, with the players on both sides having a racquet in their hand and looking to get the ball or in this case, the shuttlecock to touch the ground. By doing so, a player scores a point. Badminton goes back to the 18th century, and although the rules have changed many times, the concept remains the same. To get the shuttlecock on the ground of the opposing player's side.

  1. The Serve

    • Player waits for the serve.

      As in tennis, a player must serve always diagonally, from the right service court to the opponent's left service court. If the serve goes over the net but remains straight, then it doesn't count. If the shuttlecock travels over the back line, without the opposing team touching it, this results in an out of bounds.

    Faults and other do-nots

    • Touching the net, illegal serves, stepping out of bounds or hitting the shuttlecock out of bounds, are all examples of the fault. This infraction results in a loss of service or loss of point. Badminton rules prohibit touching the net with your body or raquet during game-play. Don't reach over the net during play with the raquet.

    Winning With 15 or 21

    • Shuttlecock after a point

      Tournaments and official games use the 21 score format, but going to 15 is all you need to win a basic badminton match. A player or team must win two out of three games to win the match. In the case of a tiebreaker, the game must continue until one team has a two-point advantage.

    The "Let"

    • A let is called for any unforeseen or accidental occurrence. Examples include the shuttlecock being suspended in the net, shuttlecock falling apart, an umpire is unable to witness the play, both teams commit a fault, and for service court errors, which means serving out of turn during a doubles match.