The Rules of Badminton

What is badminton?

Badminton is a racket sport played by hitting a shuttlecock back and forth over a high net. 🏸 The shuttlecock (sometimes called a "birdie") is light, with feathers or plastic, so it flies and floats in a special way.

You can play singles (one against one) or doubles (two against two). It is fast, fun and great exercise.

The aim of the game

Your goal is to hit the shuttlecock over the net so it lands inside the lines on your opponent's side, where they cannot return it. You win the point if they miss it, hit it out, or hit it into the net.

The first player or pair to reach the winning score takes the game.

The shuttlecock never bounces

Here is the rule that makes badminton different from tennis. The shuttlecock is not allowed to bounce. The moment it touches the floor, the rally ends.

Why? The shuttlecock is so light it would barely bounce anyway, and its feathers slow it down quickly in the air. So players must keep it flying with quick, sharp hits, making badminton one of the fastest racket sports.

Scoring points

Badminton uses rally scoring. This means a point is won on every single rally, no matter who served. You score a point when:

• The shuttle lands inside your opponent's court.
• Your opponent hits it out of the court.
• Your opponent hits it into the net.

A standard game is played to 21 points, and you must win by two clear points. Matches are usually the best of three games.

Serving rules

Every rally starts with a serve. There are important serving rules:

1. You must hit the shuttle underarm, striking it below your waist.
2. You serve diagonally across the net into the opposite service box.
3. Both feet must stay on the ground when you serve.

Serving underarm keeps the start of each rally fair, so no one can smash an unreturnable serve.

Singles and doubles courts

The court has lines marking its edges, and badminton uses them cleverly:

• In singles, the court is narrower (the inside side lines).
• In doubles, the court is wider (the outside side lines), because two players cover it.

So a shuttle that is "in" for doubles might be "out" for singles. Knowing your lines is part of the game.

Faults

A fault loses you the point. Common faults are:

• The shuttle lands out of bounds.
• The shuttle hits the net and does not go over.
• You hit the shuttle twice in a row, or touch the net with your racket or body.
• You serve incorrectly (for example, above the waist).

Why the rules work

The no-bounce rule keeps rallies fast and full of skill. Rally scoring means every point counts, so players concentrate the whole time. The underarm serve makes the start of each rally fair. Together these rules make badminton quick, exciting and rewarding for clever, accurate players.

Practice activity: keep-it-up rally

Try this with a friend and an adult to help set up a safe space:

1. Stand a few steps apart with a racket each and one shuttlecock.
2. Gently hit the shuttle back and forth, trying not to let it touch the floor.
3. Count out loud every time it crosses between you.
4. See how high your group can count before the shuttle drops.
5. Then add a low net (a rope or bench) and practise underarm serves over it.

This builds soft control, the no-bounce habit and a fair underarm serve. Keep rackets low near other people to avoid bumps.

Now you know the rules

You understand the shuttlecock, scoring, serving and faults. Grab a racket and a shuttle and try a rally!

Want more sports rules? Read The Rules of Tennis and The Rules of Table Tennis.