The Game
Two players (or teams of pairs, level or mixed) hit the shuttlecock (also known as the shuttle) across
the net into the opponent's half of the court trying to get the shuttle on the ground before the other
player(s) can return it.

The scoring in badminton recently changed and is now played by rally points, which means there is no longer the need to win service. If your opponent is serving and you win the rally you gain a point and service.
Matches are played to 21 points, if the score reaches 20 v 20 then 2 clear points are needed to win, until the score reaches 29 v 29 at this stage the next point will win the game.

In doubles there is no longer a second serve.

Serving
The players will often throw the shuttle in the air to decide who serves first, whichever side the top end of the shuttlecock points to gains control of service.

Serving is played diagonally and the first serve is always made from the right hand side of the court. On service the racket must hit the shuttle below the server's waist. The server must be standing with both feet on the ground.

The server only gets one chance to serve correctly. If they miss the shuttle or do anything wrong during the serve, it is a fault, and the serve goes to the opponent.

The receiving player must be in the correct service court, diagonally opposite from the serving player. They must have both their feet on the ground. Once the serve has been returned, players can move anywhere on the court. Receiving players must not move until the shuttle has been hit.

The server alternates serves between the right and left service courts until the service is lost.

When the receiving player has won the serve and their score is an odd number service is from the left side of the court. If the score is an even number, it is made from and to the right side of the court.

In doubles, it is the pair who is serving who change sides on the court, not the receiving pair.

Unlike table tennis each pair of players does not have to alternate hitting the shuttle between them. One player can return two or more consecutive hits in a rally if they wish.

Scoring
When the serving side win a rally, they add a point to their score and continue to serve. When the receiving side win a rally, they add a point to their score and gain service.

The score of the serving side is always put first.

Points
Points are won if a player or team faults (makes a mistake) at the rally.
The most usual ways this would happen are:
• Missing the shuttle
• Not hitting the shuttle over the net, or hitting the shuttle into the net
• Hitting it outside the court boundary - if the shuttle lands on a line it is 'in'.
• Touching the net with body or racket during play
• Hitting the shuttle twice in a row

Useful Information
The shuttle must not be hit until it has come across the net line to the hitting player's side of the court. A player can follow through across the net as long as they have hit the shuttle on their own side of the net.

During play, the player must not touch the net, slide under it with any part or all of the body, or touch the net on the follow through. If the player lets the racket go and it lands on the opponents side of court, that is also a fault.

If a player is hit by the shuttle, it is a fault against them, whether they were in or out of the court lines when they were hit.

Similarly, if the shuttle brushes a player's clothing, racket, and so on before their team-mate hits it, that counts as a 'touch' and is a fault.

Players can jump to play shots, or play them while lying down, or with one foot on the ground, as long as both feet are on the ground when serving and receiving.

A stroke is another name for a hit of the shuttle.

Badminton Terminology:

Backhand / Forehand Smash - Hitting the shuttle down fast and steeply into the opponents court
Defensive Clear - Hitting the shuttle high from one baseline to the other
Flick Serve - The shuttle is played as if to fly low across court, but flipped up as the racket makes contact
High Serve - A serve played high, and to the back of the opponent's court
Low Serve - The serve dips before crossing the net
Overhead Drop Shot - Looks like a smash, but the shuttle is just dropped gently across the net
Net Shot - Any shot played from or near to the net
Let - When a point is replayed