Here is an explanation of the rules for those who are new to badminton.
Basic Rules of Badminton Doubles
Court Size
In doubles, the entire court is used. This includes the wider area up to the side lines. However, for serving, the service area is shorter.
Serving Rules
The serve must land diagonally across the net into the opponent’s service court.
The first server starts from the right side, and whenever the server’s score is even, they serve from the right side; when the score is odd, they serve from the left side.
On the receiving side, only the designated player who first receives the serve is allowed to return it. Their partner cannot return the serve.
Scoring
A game is won by the first team to reach 21 points. The match is decided by the team that wins two games.
At the end of each rally, either the serving side wins a point, or the receiving side gets the point.
Change of Serve
The right to serve goes to the team that wins the point. If the serving side wins the point, the same player will continue to serve, and the partners will switch positions.
The receiving side does not gain the right to serve until they win a point.
Continuing Play
A rally continues until the shuttle crosses the net and lands in the opponent’s court. If the shuttle goes out of bounds or hits the net, the rally ends and the point is decided.
Faults
- If the shuttle touches the net during a serve or does not land in the correct service area.
- If a player touches the net or reaches over into the opponent’s court with their racket.
In doubles, teamwork and strategy are key, and positioning and reading the opponent’s movements are crucial to winning.
While I’ve explained the rules so far, it’s often easier to understand through a video, so I’ll link one here.
Once you learn the rules, it becomes even more enjoyable, so be sure to learn them!