Editing Badminton (section)

==Rules==

The following information is a simplified summary of badminton rules based on the BWF Statutes publication, ''Laws of Badminton''.<ref name=laws>{{cite web|url=http://www.bwfbadminton.org/page.aspx?id=14915|title=Laws of Badminton|publisher=Badminton World Federation|access-date=29 August 2010|archive-date=8 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108015954/http://www.bwfbadminton.org/page.aspx?id=14915|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Court===

[[File:Badminton court 3d.svg|right|thumb|upright|Badminton court, [[isometric projection|isometric]] view]]

The court is rectangular and divided into halves by a net. Courts are usually marked for both singles and doubles play, although badminton rules permit a court to be marked for singles only.<ref name=laws/> The doubles court is wider than the singles court, but both are of the same length. The exception, which often causes confusion to newer players, is that the doubles court has a shorter serve-length dimension.

The full width of the court is {{convert|6.1|m|ft|abbr=off}}, and in singles this width is reduced to {{convert|5.18|m|ft|abbr=off}}. The full length of the court is {{convert|13.4|m|ft|abbr=off}}. The service courts are marked by a centre line dividing the width of the court, by a short service line at a distance of {{convert|1.98|m|ftin|abbr=off}} from the net, and by the outer side and back boundaries. In doubles, the service court is also marked by a long service line, which is {{convert|0.76|m|ftin|abbr=off}} from the back boundary.

The net is {{convert|1.55|m|ftin|abbr=off}} high at the edges and {{convert|1.524|m|ft|abbr=off}} high in the centre. The net posts are placed over the doubles sidelines, even when singles is played.

The minimum height for the ceiling above the court is not mentioned in the Laws of Badminton. Nonetheless, a badminton court will not be suitable if the ceiling is likely to be hit on a high serve.

===Serving===

[[File:Badminton court legal bounds.svg|right|thumb|upright|The legal bounds of a badminton court during various stages of a rally for singles and doubles games]]

When the server serves, the shuttlecock must pass over the short service line on the opponents' court or it will count as a fault. The server and receiver must remain within their service courts, without touching the boundary lines, until the server strikes the shuttlecock. The other two players may stand wherever they wish, so long as they do not block the vision of the server or receiver.

At the start of the rally, the server and receiver stand in diagonally opposite ''service courts'' (see [[#Court|court dimensions]]). The server hits the shuttlecock so that it would land in the receiver's service court. This is similar to [[tennis]], except that in a badminton serve the whole shuttle must be below 1.15 metres from the surface of the court at the instant of being hit by the server's racket, the shuttlecock is not allowed to bounce and in badminton, the players stand inside their service courts, unlike tennis.

When the serving side loses a rally, the server immediately passes to their opponent(s) (this differs from the old system where sometimes the serve passes to the doubles partner for what is known as a "second serve").

In singles, the server stands in their right service court when their score is even, and in their left service court when their score is odd.

In doubles, if the serving side wins a rally, the same player continues to serve, but he/she changes service courts so that she/he serves to a different opponent each time. If the opponents win the rally and their new score is even, the player in the right service court serves; if odd, the player in the left service court serves. The players' service courts are determined by their positions at the start of the previous rally, not by where they were standing at the end of the rally. A consequence of this system is that each time a side regains the service, the server will be the player who did ''not'' serve last time.

===Scoring===
{{Main|Scoring system development of badminton}}

Each game is played to 21 points, with players scoring a point by winning a rally.<ref name=laws/> This differs from the old system in which players may only win a point on their serve and each game is to 15 points. A match is the best of three games.

If the score ties at 20–20, then the game continues until one side gains a two-point lead (such as 24–22), except when there is a tie at 29–29, in which the game goes to a golden point of 30. Whoever scores this point wins the game.

At the start of a match, the shuttlecock is cast and the side towards which the shuttlecock is pointing serves first. Alternatively, a coin may be tossed, with the winners choosing whether to serve or receive first, or choosing which end of the court to occupy first, and their opponents making the remaining choice.

In subsequent games, the winners of the previous game serve first. Matches are best out of three: a player or pair must win two games (of 21 points each) to win the match. For the first rally of any doubles game, the serving pair may decide who serves and the receiving pair may decide who receives. The players change ends at the start of the second game; if the match reaches a third game, they change ends both at the start of the game and when the leading player's or pair's score reaches 11 points.

A new scoring system is being attempted by the BWF, in which the 21x3 scoring system may be replaced with 15x3.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Invitation to Test a 3 x 15 Scoring System |url=https://corporate.bwfbadminton.com/news-single/2025/02/03/invitation-to-test-a-3-x-15-scoring-system |access-date=2025-02-24 |language=en-US}}</ref> The move itself has been very controversial amongst several badminton players.

===Lets===

If a let is called, the rally is stopped and replayed with no change to the score. Lets may occur because of some unexpected disturbance such as a shuttlecock landing on a court (having been hit there by players playing in adjacent court) or in small halls the shuttle may touch an overhead rail which can be classed as a let.

If the receiver is not ready when the service is delivered, a let shall be called; yet, if the receiver attempts to return the shuttlecock, the receiver shall be judged to have been ready.