Badminton

1 Game Overview

Badminton is a fast-paced racquet sport played with a shuttlecock (birdie) over a net. Unlike tennis, the shuttlecock must not hit the ground, if it does, the rally ends. Points are scored by the serving side only in traditional rules, but modern rally-point scoring (used in Olympics) awards points on every rally.

This guide covers both backyard casual rules and official rally-point scoring.

2 What You Need

• 2 or 4 badminton racquets
• Shuttlecock (birdie)
• Badminton net (5 feet tall at center, 5'1" at posts)
• Court: 44' x 20' (doubles), 44' x 17' (singles)

3 Setup

1. Set up the net at the center of the court.
2. Determine singles (1v1) or doubles (2v2).
3. Toss a coin for first serve. Server starts in the right service court.

4 How to Play

1. Server hits the shuttlecock from below the waist (underhand serve only) diagonally across the net to the opponent's service court.
2. Players rally, hit the shuttlecock back and forth over the net. It must not touch the ground.
3. A fault ends the rally: shuttlecock lands out of bounds, fails to clear the net, hits the ceiling, a player touches the net, or a player is hit by the shuttlecock.

Rally-Point Scoring (Recommended)

Every rally is worth a point, regardless of who served. The winner of the rally scores a point and serves next. Play to 21 (win by 2, max 30). Best of 3 games.

Service Rules

In singles: server stands in right service court when their score is even, left when odd. In doubles: only the server's court position changes based on score; partners swap sides when winning a point while serving.

5 Winning

First to 21 points wins the game (must win by 2; if tied 29-29, next point wins). Best of 3 games wins the match.

6 Tips

• Control placement, not just power. Shots to the corners and edges of the court are harder to return than hard shots to the center.
• The net shot is deadly. A soft shot that just clears the net and drops immediately is one of the hardest to return.
• Stay in the center of your court. Return to the middle after each shot to cover the most angles.
• Vary your shots. Mix clears (deep to back), drops (soft to front), and smashes to keep opponents off balance.