Kristian Ferrell
Badminton is a fast-paced indoor sport that can be played by two opposing players (singles) or four opposing players (doubles). The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has endorsed various scoring systems throughout the sport's history. The current scoring system, implemented in 2006, uses the 3 x 21 rally point system, where a match is decided by the best of three games, with each game played up to 21 points. This system aims to improve the commercial and broadcasting appeal of the sport by regulating playing time and simplifying the scoring for viewers. Points are scored when the shuttlecock lands inside the opponent's court, and a rally continues until the shuttlecock hits the ground, goes out of bounds, or a fault occurs.
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What You'll Learn
Rally point scoring
The scoring system in badminton has undergone several changes since the sport's inception. The current scoring system, rally point scoring, was adopted by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) in 2006. In this system, the winner of a rally scores a point, regardless of who served. Games are played to 21 points, with ladies' singles matches following the same rules as men's singles.
In rally point scoring, a point is scored when the shuttlecock lands inside the opponent's court. A rally continues until the shuttlecock hits the ground, goes out of bounds, or a fault is committed. Players are not allowed to touch the net with any part of their body or racket and must not hit the shuttlecock twice. If the shuttlecock is hit into the net, the player will lose the point. The whole shuttlecock must be below 1.15 metres from the surface of the court when hit by the server, with the racquet shaft pointing downwards.
When a point is won, the players move to the opposite serving stations for the next point. The service courts are referred to as the left and right service courts, or the odd and even service courts. If a player's score is an odd number, they serve from the left or odd service court, and vice versa. The receivers never change their service courts; only the serving side changes after a point is won.
In doubles matches, each pair wins points together. At the start of the game, the serving pair chooses who will serve first, and the receiving pair chooses who will receive. The serve stays with the same person on the serving team until the opponents win a rally and gain the serve.
To win a match, a player or team typically needs to win two games out of three. There must be at least a two-point difference between the scores for a game to end. Scoring is capped at 30 points, with the golden point rule coming into effect at 29-29.
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Scoring system history
The original badminton scoring system dates back to as early as 1873. A match or rubber is decided by the best of three games. Each game is played to 15 points in men's singles and any doubles games, and to 11 points in ladies' singles. Alternatively, a single game to 21 points could determine a match or rubber. The first serve is usually determined by a coin toss or by dropping the shuttle on top of the net, with the direction it points deciding the server.
In 2002, the International Badminton Federation (IBF), now known as the Badminton World Federation (BWF), decided to experiment with a different scoring system to improve the commercial and broadcasting appeal of the sport. The new system shortened games to seven points and decided matches by the best of five games. However, this experiment was abandoned as it did not significantly reduce match times.
In 2005, the BWF experimented again with the scoring system, intending to regulate playing time and simplify the system for television viewers. This led to the adoption of the current rally point scoring system in 2006. Games were lengthened to 21 points, with ladies' singles matches now using the same rules as men's singles. The upper limit for scoring is 30 points, with a golden point rule at 29-29.
At its meeting on November 9, 2024, the BWF Council endorsed a 3 x 15 (setting to 21) scoring system as the preferred replacement for the current system. This system was already part of the Alternative Laws of Badminton and had been trialled in lower-level tournaments in 2014.
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Deciding the first server
The first server in a badminton match is typically decided by a coin toss. One common method is to drop the shuttlecock on top of the net and see which way it points when it lands. Another method is a simple coin flip. Once the first server is decided, they will start the game serving from the right service box.
The first server must stand in the diagonally opposite service court to the receiver. The first server's racket head should make a forward movement to initiate the serve, and the shuttlecock should be hit diagonally over the net and across the court. The whole of the shuttlecock should be below 1.15m from the surface of the court when it is hit. The server's racket shaft should be pointing downwards, and the shuttlecock should not bounce.
The server's feet should both be in contact with the floor, and no part of the foot should be touching the service line or court boundaries. The serve must be hit underarm, with the server's racket head and shaft angled in a downward direction, and the shuttlecock should be below the waist at contact. The waist is considered an imaginary line at the level of the server's lowest rib.
After a point is won, the players will move to the opposite serving stations for the next point. If the server wins a point, they will continue serving, but if they are serving from the right service box and win a point, they will then serve from the left service box, and vice versa.
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Scoring caps
The scoring system in badminton has undergone several changes over the years, with the sport's governing bodies attempting to find the optimal format to improve the sport's commercial and broadcasting appeal.
Since 2006, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) has endorsed the 3 x 21 rally point system for international competitions. In this system, matches are decided by the best of three games, with each game played to 21 points. This replaced the traditional scoring system, where men's singles and doubles games were played to 15 points, ladies' singles to 11 points, and a single game could also determine a match played to 21 points.
However, the current scoring format has led to longer match durations, prompting the BWF to experiment with different systems in 2014. One such system proposed five games to 11 points with no setting, ensuring that the game ends at 11-10 or earlier. This system was trialled in lower-level tournaments but was ultimately not adopted.
To prevent matches from extending indefinitely, scoring in badminton is capped at 30 points. If the score reaches 29-29, the golden point rule comes into effect, and the first player or pair to score a point wins the game. This scoring cap is intended to prevent matches from dragging on too long, especially at the top levels of play, where excessive game lengths can increase the risk of athlete injury.
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Singles vs. doubles
A badminton match can be played by two opposing players (singles) or four opposing players (doubles). The fundamentals of badminton remain the same in both singles and doubles, but the winning tactics for each format can look very different.
Singles is a solo battle that involves trying to outmaneuver and outlast your opponent. Singles defence is less about speed and more about masterful positioning and footwork. For instance, if you’re in one corner of your backcourt, you should already be thinking about how you’ll cover your front court (and potentially the opposite corner of your backcourt). This is because your opponent will most likely aim their shot somewhere they think you won’t be able to reach.
Doubles, on the other hand, involves communication and playing off of a teammate’s strengths and abilities. Doubles combines the speed, power, and court coverage of two badminton players, meaning it calls for different strategies compared to singles. In doubles, the attack formation usually involves one player covering the backcourt and the other covering the front. The backcourt player will use a variety of offensive shots such as half smashes, full smashes, drives, etc. Doubles is also about covering your partner and predicting your opponent's shots. This prediction allows you to intercept mid-court shots faster and learn to spot open areas in your own court.
Another key difference between singles and doubles is court sizing. The doubles court has wider sidelines (6.1m or 20 ft) than the singles court (5.18 m or 17 ft) to make room for both players.
Finally, in doubles, you and your partner will need to keep track of service rotation, i.e., which one of you should be serving and from which side.
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Frequently asked questions
Points are scored when the shuttlecock lands inside the opponent's court. A rally continues until the shuttlecock hits the ground, goes out of bounds, or a fault is committed. A point is awarded regardless of which side served.
Since 2006, international competitions have used the 3 x 21 rally point system, meaning a player must win 3 games to 21 points. There must be at least a 2-point difference between scores.
In major tournaments, a coin toss is used to decide the first server. In casual club or league games, players usually toss the shuttlecock in the air and the side it points to serves first.
In doubles, the serve alternates between teams. At the start of the game, the serving pair chooses who serves first. When the serving side wins a rally, the same person serves again but from the other service court.
Some common faults include touching the net with the racket or body, failing to serve within the boundaries of the service court, or hitting the shuttlecock twice.
