1. Rules and Regulations

Badminton has many intricate rules and regulations. The Badminton World Federation has done a thorough job of compiling these rules and laying them out in an organized manner for you to learn. Check them out along with their vocabulary and simplified badminton rules below.

Below are some basic rules you need to know:

• A match consists of the best of three games to 21 points
• Every time there is a serve, one point is scored
• If the score is 20-20, the individual or team must win by two points to win the game
• In terms of serving, at the beginning of the game when the score is 0-0 or if the server’s score is even, they will serve from the right service court. However, when the server’s score is odd, they will serve from the left service court.
• The rally is over once the birdie contacts the floor, does not return over the net, or lands outside the court lines.

It is important to highlight, there are also different rules or regulations depending on if you are playing singles or doubles. Look at the image below to understand the difference of the service line and area of play between singles and doubles matches.

BWF Laws of Badminton and GC Regulations 2017
*Specifically review the Laws of Badminton (Part II, Section 1A)

Please review the entire Simplified Rules page: BWF Simplified Rules
Review the key badminton terms to better understand the game: BWF Vocabulary of Badminton

Watch the VIDEO by Ninh Ly explaining the basic rules and scoring system of badminton.