BADMINTON RULES
SERVICE
Must serve underhand and from below the waist.
Neither the server nor the receiver may take a step until the shuttle is served.
The bird must land in the proper service court.
Service is determined by the score (odd score =left court, even score =right court)
The bird may touch the net only on returns shots, not on the serve.
Only the intended receiver may return the serve.
No part of the body or the racquet may touch the net at any time.
May not hit the bird before it crosses the net.
The server and the receiver must be within their respective service courts.
General Rules
1. Any shuttle landing on a line is good.
2. Players may go out of bounds to play the shuttle.
3. If the server, in attempt to serve, misses the shuttle completely, this does not court as a
fault.
4. Only the serving team may score.
THE GAME
Badminton is a game played by two people (singles) or four people (doubles) in which a feathered object
(shuttlecock or bird) is hit back and fourth across a net. The bird is put into play with a server and a
person or team may score only when they are serving. The server scores a point when the receiver
commits a fault of any kind.
HISTORY
Badminton comes from two games, Battledore-and-shuttlecock and Poona. Poona comes from India,
while battledore-and-shuttlecock was played in china, India, and Siam over 2,000 years ago. The British
took the sport from India to England in the late 1800’s. The duke of Beaufort is responsible for the name
“badminton.” He had a large country estate, Badminton House near Badminton village in
Glouchestershire, where he entertained his guests with rounds of the new game. The first badminton club
in the United States was organized in 1878, although the sport did not gain popularity until recent years.
Today it is considered a major sport. Now there are over 500 badminton clubs in the United States.
TERMS
Alley - the space between the doubles and singles sidelines (side alley) or the space between the back
boundary line and the doubles service back line (back alley)
Backhand stroke - the stroke used when returning a bird from the left side of the body
Balk - to fake a movement to draw an opponent off guard
Doubles - a game between two pairs of players
Down - loss of hand
Fault - any illegal action during a game
Flight - the path of the bird in the air
Foot fault - an illegal action during the serve in which either the server or the receiver stands on a line or
takes a step before the bird is served
Forehand stroke - stroke used when returning a bird from the right side of the body
Game - 11 points in singles, 15 points in doubles
Hand - one person’s term of service
In play - action that occurs after the service
Inning - a team’s term of service
Let - reserving or replaying a rally
Love - a score of zero
Match - the winner of two out of three games
Point - the unit of scoring
Racket - the equipment used to strike the bird
Racket head - that part of the racket containing the strings
Rally - the exchange of the bird from the time it is served until it is dead
Receiver - the person to whom the shuttle is being served
Return - hitting the bird over the net while the bird is in play
Service court - the area in which the serve must land to be “good”
Set up - a return on which it is easy for an opponent to make a winning shot
Setting - in case of a tie, increasing the number of points in a game
Shuttlecock - (shuttle, bird) the object which is hit back and forth
Side out - a side’s loss of serve
Singles - a game played between two people
Wood shot - a shot in which the frame instead of the strings hits the bird
Singles Games
The server begins the game by serving from the right court into her opponent’s right court. If she wins
the rally, she scores a point and continues serving until she loses a rally. Each time she scores a point she
changes courts and serves from the opposite service court, alternating right, left, right and so on. When
her own score is ever, she will be serving from her right service court; when her score is odd, she will
serve from the left service court.
Doubles Games
In doubles, both people have a chance to serve in one inning. (In the first inning, however, there is only
one hand.) The first person to serve always begins in the right service court. After that, the person who is
in the right court serves first. When a team scores a point, they change courts and the same person
continues serving. When she loses her hand, her partner serves. Players do not change back to their
original positions when an inning is over; they change only when they score a point. Remember - when
your own score is even, you will be in the court where you started; when your score is odd, you will be in
the opposite court.
RULES
A. Service
1. The serve must be underhand.
2. Neither the server nor the receiver may take a step until the shuttle is served.
3. The bird must land in the proper service court.
4. The server and receiver must be in the proper service court.
5. The bird may touch the net.
6. In doubles, only the intended receiver may return the service.
B. In play – It is a fault if a player:
1. Fails to return a legally hit shuttle
2. Hits a shuttle which then goes out of bounds.
3. Catches the bird or allows it to touch her.
4. Touches the net in any manner.
5. Hits the bird before it crosses the net.
6. In doubles, if both players touch the bird before it crosses the net.
C. General
1.
2.
3.
Bird must land out of bounds to be called “out.”
If a player calls a bird “out,” the decision shall stand.
“Let” is called when there is legitimate doubt as to the outcome of a rally, or for double
fault.
4.
In case of a tie, the game may be set. When this occurs, the game becomes longer. In
singles, if a game is tied at 9-9, the game is set for 3. (The score is erased to 0-0, and the first person to
score three points wins.) If the score is tied at 10-10, the game may be set for 2. In doubles, the game
may be set for 5 when tied at 13-13, and for 3 when tied at 14 all. In any case, the first person or team to
reach the tied score has the option of setting.
Penalty—When a fault is committed by the receiving team, a point is scored for the servers; when
committed by the servers, loss of hand.
TYPES OF SHOTS
A.
Clear- The bird is hit forcefully (underhand or overhand) high into the air and should land in the
back alley.
B.
Drive- A hard hit shot which follows a horizontal path, hit usually with a sidearm motion.
C.
Drop shot- A softly hit shot which barely crosses the net and falls into the front of the opponent’s
court.
D.
Net flight- A soft stroke hit from near the net which crosses the net and drops immediately to the
floor.
E.
Smash- A hard-hit shot which angles sharply downward.
F.
Serves
Long serve- The bird is hit high into the air and falls into the back of the service court.
Short serve- The bird is hit softly, barely clearing the net, and falls in the front of the service court.
STRATEGY
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
court.
H.
Players should keep short serves and soft shots as low as possible.
Long serves and clears should be hit very high and should be hit to the back of the court.
Players should try to hit shots away from the opponent.
Players should hit frequently to the opponent’s backhand, since these are hard to return.
When players are receiving the serve, they should stand in the center of the service court.
Players should serve from a spot near the short service line and near the center line.
After serving and after hitting every shot, players should immediately return to the center of the
Doubles teamwork.
There are several systems of doubles play, but in our classes we use the up and back method. One
player stays close to the net, in front of the short service line, while her partner plays back near the back
alley. When a team is serving, the server plays up and the partner plays back. When they are receiving,
their positions are determined by the serve. If the receiver gets a long serve, she plays back, and her
partner plays up. If she gets a short serve, she plays up and her partner plays back. While awaiting the
serve, both players stand in the middle of their own service courts. Players should not turn to watch the
partner hit the bird.
ETIQUETTE
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Always call the score before serving and make sure the opponent is ready. Call your own score.
Call shots landing in your own court; do not argue with opponents.
Thank your opponent for playing after the game; congratulations should go to the winner.
Recover and return birds to the server.
Do not shout or scream during a game.
Do not walk across a court while a game is being played.