Badminton rally rules determine how points are awarded during a rally, when a rally ends, and what happens when a player or side commits a fault. Under the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Laws of Badminton, every rally results in a point for one side. A rally can end when a player commits a fault or when the shuttle ceases to be in play because it touches the court surface inside the opponent’s court.
The rally scoring system is used in both singles and doubles. This means players do not have to be serving to win a point. The side that wins the rally scores, and the winner of the rally also serves the next rally. Understanding this system is important for following the rules of badminton rally scoring, whether you are playing singles or doubles.
What is a Rally in Badminton?
A rally in badminton begins with a legal service and continues as players hit the shuttle back and forth over the net. It ends when the shuttle is no longer in play.
Under the BWF Laws, the side winning a rally adds one point to its score. A side wins the rally when the opposing side commits a fault or when the shuttle ceases to be in play because it touches the surface of the opponent’s court.
For example, if Player A serves and Player B returns the shuttle, the players continue exchanging shots until one side makes a fault or the shuttle lands in the opponent’s court. The side that wins that rally receives the point.
Badminton Rally Scoring Rules
The standard badminton scoring system uses 21 points per game, with a match normally consisting of the best of three games. The side that first reaches 21 points wins the game, subject to the rules for scores of 20-all and 29-all.
The main badminton rally scoring rules are:
| Situation | What happens |
| A side wins a rally | It scores 1 point |
| Serving side wins the rally | It scores and serves again |
| Receiving side wins the rally | It scores and becomes the serving side |
| Score reaches 20-all | A side must gain a 2-point lead to win |
| Score reaches 29-all | The side scoring the 30th point wins |
| A game is completed | The side winning the game serves first in the next game |
Therefore, a player can score a point whether they were serving or receiving when the rally began. This is the fundamental feature of the rally point system.
Read More: Badminton Service Rules
How Does a Rally Start in Badminton?
Every rally begins with a service. The server and receiver must be positioned correctly for the service, and the service must comply with the applicable service laws.
In singles and doubles, the server and receiver stand in diagonally opposite service courts. Neither player may touch the boundary lines of the relevant service courts when the service is delivered.
The direction and position of the service also depend on the server’s score. When the server’s score is even, the service is delivered from the right service court. When the server’s score is odd, the service is delivered from the left service court. This principle applies to both singles and doubles, subject to the specific doubles service rotation rules.
Once a correct service has been delivered, the rally continues until it ends according to the Laws of Badminton.
What Happens When the Server Wins a Rally?
Under the rally scoring system, the server’s side receives a point if it wins the rally.
The server then serves again from the alternate service court. In singles, this means the player continues serving while winning successive rallies, moving between the right and left service courts according to whether their score is even or odd.
For example, if a singles player starts a rally with a score of 6 and wins it, the score becomes 7. Because the new score is odd, the next service is made from the left service court.
What Happens When the Receiver Wins a Rally?
If the receiving side wins the rally, it scores one point and becomes the serving side.
In singles, the new server serves from the appropriate service court according to the new score. If the score is even, the service is made from the right service court; if the score is odd, it is made from the left.
This is one of the most important differences between rally scoring and older badminton scoring systems. Under rally scoring, winning the rally immediately produces a point and, for the receiving side, the right to serve next.
Badminton Rally Rules for Singles
In singles, one player competes against one player. The entire singles court is used during rallies, while the singles service court is narrower than the doubles service court.
The server’s score determines the service court. At the beginning of a game, the score is 0-0, so the first service is made from the right service court. If the server’s score is even, they serve from the right; if it is odd, they serve from the left.
If the server wins the rally, they score a point and serve again from the opposite service court. If the receiver wins, the receiver scores and becomes the new server.
Badminton Rally Rules for Doubles
In doubles, two players form each side. The rally scoring principle remains the same: the side winning the rally scores one point.
The doubles service system has additional rules governing which player serves and receives. A side has only one service, and when the serving side wins a rally, the same server serves again from the alternate service court. When the receiving side wins the rally, it scores and becomes the new serving side.
Players do not change their respective service courts until their side wins a point while serving. The service then moves between the appropriate courts according to the side’s score.
When Does a Badminton Rally End?
A rally ends when one side wins the rally. This generally happens because the opposing side commits a fault or because the shuttle lands in the opponent’s court.
A fault can occur in several ways. For example, a player may hit the shuttle outside the boundaries, fail to return it over the net, touch the net during play, or commit an error during service.
The BWF Laws define the situations that constitute faults, so not every unsuccessful-looking shot has the same ruling. The umpire applies the relevant law to determine whether a fault has occurred.
Common Faults During a Rally
A rally can be lost because of a fault by a player or side. Common examples include:
- The shuttle lands outside the court boundaries.
- The shuttle fails to pass over the net.
- The shuttle touches a player or their clothing.
- A player touches the net with their racket, person or clothing while the shuttle is in play.
- A player hits the shuttle twice consecutively, subject to the specific laws governing a legal stroke.
- A player or side commits another fault specified under the Laws of Badminton.
The exact ruling depends on the circumstances of the rally and the applicable BWF law. A fault awards the rally to the opposing side.
What is a Let in Badminton?
A let is different from a fault. When a let is called, the rally is stopped, and the rally is replayed.
A let can be called in situations specified by the Laws of Badminton. For example, if the receiver was not ready when the service was delivered, a let may apply, provided the receiver did not attempt to return the service. Other situations involving unforeseen or accidental circumstances can also result in a let under the applicable laws.
When a let is called, the score from before that rally does not change, and the rally is played again.
What Happens When the Score Reaches 20-All in Badminton?
A badminton game is normally won by the side that first reaches 21 points. However, when the score reaches 20-all, the game continues until one side gains a two-point lead. For example, a score of 21-20 does not end the game, but 22-20 does.
If the score reaches 29-all, the side that wins the next rally scores the 30th point and wins the game. Therefore, under the standard scoring system, 30 points is the maximum score a side can reach in a game.
Does Every Rally Count as a Point in Badminton?
Yes. Under the standard rally scoring system, the side that wins each rally receives one point. The winning side does not need to have served the rally to score.
This applies throughout the game, including when the score reaches 20-all and 29-all. The special rules at those scores determine how the game is won, but the rally itself still awards one point to the side that wins it.
Change of Ends During a Match
Players change ends at specific points during a badminton match. Under the standard laws, players change ends at the end of the first game, at the end of the second game if a third game is required, and during the third game when a side first scores 11 points.
If players fail to change ends at the correct time, the error is corrected when discovered and when the shuttle is not in play. The existing score remains unchanged.
Conclusion
The badminton rally rules are based on a simple principle: the side that wins a rally earns one point. A rally starts with a legal service and continues until the shuttle goes out of play, a fault occurs, or a let is called. The same rally scoring system applies to both singles and doubles, although the service rotation differs between the two formats.
Under the standard BWF scoring system, a game is played to 21 points, with a two-point lead required after 20-all and a 30-point maximum. Understanding these rules makes it easier to follow scoring, service changes, faults and rally outcomes during a badminton match.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Each rally is worth one point. The side that wins the rally gets the point, whether it was serving or receiving.
Yes. Under rally scoring, the receiving side scores a point when it wins the rally. It then becomes the serving side for the next rally.
At 20-all, the side must gain a two-point lead to win the game. If the score reaches 29-all, the side winning the next rally wins the game by scoring the 30th point.
In singles, the server serves again after winning a rally, from the alternate service court. In doubles, the same server also serves again after the serving side wins a rally, with the service moving to the alternate court.
A fault ends the rally and awards the point to the opposing side. A let stops the rally without awarding a point, and the rally is replayed according to the applicable law.
