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.