Mastering Badminton Singles Rules: Understanding Service Rules and Court Lines

“Yes! That’s Out! I win!” | “Woah woah woah! That’s in, my boy” | “You just don’t know how to play the game!”
Are these dialogues taken from a textbook conversation between you and your friend?  Well, not to worry. Playo is here to untangle this web of confusion hovering around the court lines and badminton singles rules for you. Not just rules, this blog also includes recipes for some exciting strategies you can use and throw feathered projectiles at your opponents. Let’s get the ball rolling! (We’d rather say the shuttle moving?)

Some facts about the game

Let’s start with some trivia! Did you know that initially, people called Badminton as Battledore?  The game started as a relaxing play in the British Province in the late 17th century. Players used a battledore to maintain the shuttlecock up in the air as long as possible. It spread massively, and everyone started to play before the rules were invented. The game became famous and is now known as Badminton worldwide. 

The court blueprint for players

According to the badminton singles rules derived by the Badminton World Federation (BWF), the standard length of a badminton court is 44ft (13.4 meters).  For a singles game, the width of a badminton court is 17 feet (5.18m). A net divides the court into two halves at 6.7m. The placement of the net is at a height of 1.55m from the ground and is positioned at both double sidelines. There are 6 lines in the court, each representing a meaning. Let’s understand each of them.

Lines in a badminton court

The badminton singles rules are almost identical for singles and doubles, except for a few serving facets and positions that comprise of different dimensions and service lines. 

1. Outer tramline/Double sidelines: The outer boundary of the badminton court is the tramline. It consists of 2 long service lines and 2 sidelines. If the shuttle crosses the outer tramline of the opponent’s side, you can consider it as an out.

2. Inner tramline/Single sidelines: The inner tramline is the second line after the outer tramline towards the centre. This also contains 2 long service lines and 2 sidelines that come into function during a singles game.

3. Baseline: The baseline is the line limit in a horizontal direction. You can consider the shots that are hit beyond the baseline as ‘out’. (in layman’s terms, it is referred to as the back boundary line).

4. Centre line: The centre line divides the court into 2 halves. It runs from the baseline to the short service line.

5. Short service line: The inner line parallel to the net is the short service line. The shuttlecock must cross the short service line and land on the diagonal service court of the opponent’s court. The badminton singles rules don’t allow the players to stand on the service line while delivering the shuttle.

6. Long service line: Though this isn’t used in singles, it leads to a lot of confusion in a singles game. This line is generally on the court for doubles (in doubles, you need to serve between the long service line and short service line), but as a singles player, you NEED TO IGNORE IT on the court. Which means you can serve your opponent between the short service line and baseline.

Source – https://sportsvenuecalculator.com/knowledge/indoor-sports-court/badminton-court-dimensions-guide/

What are the badminton service rules according to the court lines?

The Badminton World Federation has laid down specific badminton singles rules for service in singles and doubles. These top 10 badminton singles service rules are crucial for players to perform at the best levels. 

1. The primary rule that defines a good service is when the shuttle hits the opposite court without touching the net. The shuttle should always cross over the net.

2. The service shuttle should not exceed the inner tramline of the opponent’s court. If it does, the opponent team gains a point.

3. A general badminton singles service rule is that one must always serve the shuttle diagonally to the opponent’s court.

4. The team that wins the toss gets to decide the serving player. If you win the toss, you can choose your position. It can be either service or the court.

5. While serving or receiving, the players should remain stationary. You can move once you deliver/ receive the shuttle.

6. Don’t delay the serving once both teams are ready. The badminton singles rules consider taking time to serve as faulty.

7. If the shuttle lands on the inner tramline, it is an IN, and the serving team gains a point. However, serving beyond the boundary is an OUT; the opponents gain a point (serving on the baseline is IN).

8. Overhand serving is strictly prohibited in badminton. Your shuttle needs to be below the waistline when you serve.
   
9. The serve should fall anywhere between your opponent’s short service line, baseline, inner tramline and centreline.

Source – https://www.badminton.org.au/about-badminton/

10. Umpire can call for a temporary “let” if there are distractions in the court. The players or any objects on the ground may cause such a distraction.

The serving rule

11. The points of the player who won the last point decide the location from where the player will serve. If the current points of the player who won the last point are even, he/she is supposed to serve from the right side of his/her side of the court, while if the points are odd, he/she will serve from the left side of the court.

An easier way to remember this is with every chance to serve. Just recall the points you scored. If it is odd, move to the left, and if it is even, move to the right).

• A Subpoint here is, let’s say, you have odd points (1,3 or 5), but you accidentally serve from the right side of the court, and the opponent picks the serve; the game goes on as regular. If you win a point and your points then become even, you still serve from the right side of the court. This means if the opponent picks your potentially wrong serve, there is no fault.
• But in the above scenario, he gets the point if the opponent does not pick your serve and lets it fall in the wrong court on his side. (People might do this to confuse you, even when your points are odd, if your opponent stands on the right side of the court, you will end up making this mistake)

12. Racket crossing the net – A shuttler’s racket can cross the net while the shuttle is on his/her side of the court. For instance, if the shuttle is yet in the opponent’s court, you cannot preemptively take the racket on the other side and hit it.

13. What happens if the server and receiver both commit a fault? – For e.g, if the server served above the waist and immediately the receiver touched the net. In this scenario, the server loses the point.

You can gain proficiency at following these badminton singles rules from regular practice. Umpires and line judges continuously notice the game and announce a ‘fault’ if any rules are disobeyed. 

3 Types of badminton serves every player must know

Apart from singles rules in badminton, you must know 5 types of services. You can gain complete control over the game with proficient serves, whether the opposite player is strong or tactical. Every kind of service has a purpose and a method to return it. 

Low serve

Low serve is a wonderful tactical play to lead the opponent. When done strategically, it restricts the opponent from taking over the shuttle. The shuttle is served such that it takes a quick curve trajectory just after serving and falls near the short line, where the opponent finds it difficult to hit back. 

Shots like these restrict the opponents’ movement and prevent players from taking control of the shuttle. 

Low serve also has an advantage: the opponent cannot quickly hit it into a high smash. 

How to return the low serve?

According to badminton singles rules, typically, there are 2 methods to return a low serve. Net shot or lift. You can use the forehand against your chest and shoot the shuttle or lunge forward and lift the shuttle. Both these returns depend on your position and the vicinity of the shuttle. 

High serve

A high serve is the exact opposite of a low serve. The trajectory of the high serve is long, unlike the short serve.  The shuttle travel so high and deep that it is received at the far back of the court. One of the major mistakes you might make is hitting the shuttle so high, that it crosses the baseline. This would lead the opponent to gain a point. The primary focus is to master the shot. The forearm is essential in this case; hence, learning how to grip the forearm with the racket and taking the shot at perfect angles are crucial when considering a high serve. 

The trick is to make the best use of the corner space during high serving because that’s the only area players lack getting control. In singles, you can juggle up between the corner space, which gives the opponent more heartbeats, reducing their momentum. 

How to return the high serve?

The badminton singles rules allow 3 methods to return the high serve—Smash, Drop, and Clear. You probably know what smash is. It’s hitting the shuttle with power and speed in a downward direction to the opponent’s court. Drop is the slow trajectory in which the player takes time to hit the shuttle and moves in a curve. Clear is a neutral shot that does not contribute any score because it’s bland.

Flick serve

 A flick serve is the trickiest for both the server and the receiver. A flick serve is a low serve often used to confuse the opponent. Because the position, angle, and other factors are the same except for some points. The trick here is that the starting position should look like a typical low serve to flip the player’s mind. 

Hold the shuttlecock with the thumb for easy delivery and maximum distance. This is most effective in singles games since this type of serving has much to do with covering the entire court. When the opponent is slow and not flexible with his position, it’s the best time to consider a flick serve. This is because the opponent takes time to return the high serve, making it difficult to return to the base position. 

How to return the flick serve?

The best way to return a flick serve is to run to the back of the court as quickly as possible. But it gets trickier when players have to lunge in different directions quickly. An intense leg exercise would help the players to switch from one position to another. You can choose the type of shots you want to take- depending on your position and strength; it could be smash, drop, or clear. 

Badminton rules for singles court

Despite badminton is known as a refreshing and resourceful game, playing the game with specific badminton singles rules can boost one’s game spirit.

Scoring rules:

• The match involves the best of 3 games of 21 points.
• At 20-all, the player that gets a 2 points lead wins the game.
• At 29-all, the player who scores the 30th is the winner of the game (the game is capped at 30)
• The player winning the game adds a point to its score.
• The player that wins a score serves the first in the next game.

Interval rules

• Each game has an interval of 2 minutes
• Players have a 60-second interval at 11 points
• In the third game, the players change their ends when either team reaches 11 points

Faults in the game

The badminton singles rules consider faults in the game if

• The shuttle lands beyond the service court
• The feet of the receiver is not in the diagonally opposite service court
• A serve lands beyond the inner tramline
• A player touches his body or his racquet to the net
• A player hits the shuttle twice consecutively

Conclusion

Mastering badminton singles requires a deep understanding of the badminton singles rules and court lines. Players can strategically position themselves and execute effective shots by knowing the boundaries, service areas, and proper footwork. By honing these skills and adhering to the rules, players can elevate their game and excel in the thrilling world of badminton singles.

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