Badminton

Rallying

Hitting the shuttlecock back and forth to each other.

Smash

 A stroke which is contacted overhead with a hard, fast, quick swing which drives the birdie downward into the opponent’s court.

Clear

A stroke that sends the birdie high and deep into the opponent’s court.

Drop Shot

An overhead stroke which is hit with enough force to drop the birdie over the top to the net into the opponent’s court.

Drive

An overhead stroke which is contacted with force to drive the birdie straight across to the opponent’s court.

Serve

An underhand stroke performed below the waist which starts the game.

The Court and Net

A net divides the badminton court into two halves. For singles, the court is narrower compared to doubles, but both games use the same net height (1.55 meters).

Scoring System

Badminton follows a rally point system. A match is played best of three games, with the first player winning two games of 21 points out of three sets wins the game. If the score ties at 20-20, a player must lead by 2 points to win.

Serving

The server must serve diagonally, and the shuttle must fall in the receiver's service box. The server must hit the shuttle below their waist, and the racket head must be lower than the hand when serving. The serve can not be Overhead!

Starting a Game

Start a badminton game, one player serves while the other receives. Once the serve is successful, the players rally by hitting the shuttlecock back and forth across the net until one side commits a fault. Each rally can earn a point for the winning side.

Shuttle Service Rules

service court diagonally across from it. If the shuttle does not land in the correct box or hits the net, it is a fault, and the serve goes to the opponent.

Scoring a Point

Points are scored in each rally, whether it is your serve or not. If the shuttlecock lands in the opponent’s court, or the opponent makes a mistake, you earn a point. The first player to reach twenty-one points, with a 2-point lead, wins the game.

4. Doubles Play

In doubles, each side gets two chances to serve, except for the first inning of the game. Players alternate serves and must switch positions after winning a point.

5. Shuttle Contact

A player must not touch the net with their racket or body during play. Doing so will result in a fault, and the opponent gains a point.

6. In or Out

The shuttle is considered “in” if it lands on or within the boundary lines of the court. If it falls outside the lines, the opponent earns a point.

7. Faults

A fault occurs if a player hits the shuttle twice in one rally, touches the net, or hits the shuttle outside the court boundaries. Faults result in the opposing team earning a point.

8. Service Change

In singles and doubles, the service alternates when the server loses the rally. The next player in line or the opposing team takes over serving.

9. Breaks

Players are allowed breaks between games and intervals. There is a 60-second break when a player reaches 11 points and a 2-minute break between each game.

10. Let

A let occurs when play is interrupted, such as when the shuttle gets stuck in the net or an external factor disturbs play. The point is replayed without any side gaining an advantage.