I found this old piece of paper with rules for
badminton. I do not know from where it came. Now
it is preserved in the form of a text file. There
was a few holes in the paper, so had to make a
couple of guesses. If you have any questions or
comments, mail to
[email protected]
SIMPLIFIED RULES OF BADMINTON
TO START GAME
Toss a coin or spin the racket.
The winner has one of the following choices and
the loser the other.
1. Serve first
2. Receive first
3. Side
POSITION ON COURT AT START OF GAME
Server stands inside service court on te right
side. Receiver stands inside service court on the
opposite right side. Partners may stand anywhere
on either side providing they do not block the
view of the receiver.
POSITION THROUGHOUT THE GAME AT TIME OF SERVE
SINGLES - If the server's score is even, server is
on rigt side. If server's score is odd, server is
on left side (even score 0,2,4 etc. odd 1,3,5
etc).
DOUBLES - When a team's score is even that team is
in their starting positions, when odd reverse
positions.
TO START THE PLAY
The server on the right side serves to the
receiver on the opposite right side. The receiver
must not move until the server hits the shuttle.
SERVER MUST
1. Keep some part of his feet on the floor
(e.g. do not walk into serve)
2. Hit the base of the shuttle first
3. Hit the shuttle with all of it below the
server's waist.
4. Hit the shuttle with all of the head of the
racket clearly below the hand that holds it
5. Have the racket move continuously forward (no
fake allowed)
SCORING
You score only on your side's service.
DURING PLAY
SINGLES - If the server wins the rally he scores a
point, changes court sides and continues to
serve. If he loses, his opponent serves.
DOUBLES - in doubles, if the team serving wins the
rally, the server switches court position with his
partner and continues to serve. If they lose the
rally, the partner serves. After the team loses
two rallies the serve goes to the opponents.
EXCEPTION - At the start of the game in doubles
the side which begins the serve has only one team
member who serves during the first side.
SERVER OR RECEIVER ON WRONG SIDE
Play a let if it is discovered before the point is
over or if the person who made the mistake
finishes the rally. The score stands if the person
who made the mistake loses the rally in which case
the players will remain on the "wrong" side. If
the next serve has been made, the score stands and
the players remain on the "wrong" side.
FAULTS DURING PLAY
1. Shuttle landing outside the court boundaries
during service or play (shuttle landing on line is
not a fault)
2. Player, his racquet or his clothing touches the
net while the shuttle is in play.
3. Player hitting the shuttle on the opposite side
of the net, however, when it is hit on the
player's side follow through over the net is
legal.
4. Player holding up his racket close to the net
when the opponent has a chance to hit the shuttle
down close to the net on the other side.
5. Shuttle hit with two strokes by one
side. (Player hitting the shuttle with 2 hits on
one stroke is legal.)
6. Shuttle clearly carried on the racquet and
thrown over.
7. Shuttle hitting the ceiling, player, or the
player's clothing.
8. If the receiver's partner hits the serve.
9. Interfering with the shuttle, or misconduct
after one warning (lose serve or give opponents a
point)
10. Stalling - no time allowed for injury, regain
of strength, or wind (penalty - lose serve or five
opponent a point)
SHUTTLE IS IN PLAY from the time it hits the
server's racquet until (1) hits floor) (2) hits
ceiling (3) hits person or clothing (4) hits net
on hitter's side and starts to drop on hitter's
side
LETS (REPLAYS)
1. Server or receiver on the wrong side and wins
the rally.
2. Shuttle goes over the net, catches in the
opposite side, and does not fall to the floor.
3. Outside interference - e.g.: shuttle from
another court lands on or near playing area
NOTE: A shuttle hitting the net on the serve and
going over is a good serve provided the shuttle
lands in the service court.
END OF GAME
For women's singles, first to 11 points wins. At 9
all, first player to reach 9 has option to set or
not to set. No set means playing to 11. Set means
the score goes back to love all, and the first to
get three points wins. (It is not necessary to win
by 2 points.) If play continues without set and
the players reach a score of 10 all, the first
player to reach 10 has the option to set or not to
set. If game is set, the score goes to love all,
and the first to 2 points wins.
All other games are 15 points. At 13 all, set
is 5, and at 14 set is 3. If game is not set at 13
all, it may be set at 14 all. Match is 2 out of 5
games.
The winner of the first game serves first from the
other side in new game. Winner of second game in a
threes game match changes sides and serves. In
third game change sides and continue serving at 6
in women's singles and 8 in all others.
ORDER OF SERVICE
In both singles and doubles, points can only be
scored by the serving side.
In singles, if the server fails to win the point,
the score remains the same; it is then the
'service over' and the opposing side gains the
serve and the opportunity to score.
In doubles, only one partner of the side that
starts a game has a turn at serving in the first
inning; in every subsequent inning each player on
each side has a turn, the partners serving
consecutively. When a point is scored, the server
changes courts and serve to the other service
court. Only the serving side changes service
courts when a point is scored. The receivers
remain in their same courts to allow the server to
serve the other player.
SCORING (example of typical game)
1 2
+-----.-----+ +-----.-----+
| | | | | |
| X | Y | | X | Y |
| ^ | | | |^ |
+----\------+ +-----/-----+
+- - -\- - -| +- - / - - -|
+------\----+ +---/-------+
| | \ | | / | |
| B | A | | A | B |
| | | | | |
+-----------+ +-----------+
3 4
+-----.-----+ +-----.-----+
| | | | | |
| X | Y | | X | Y |
| ^ | | | \ | |
+----\------+ +---\-------+
+- - -\- - -| +- - \ - - -|
+------\----+ +-----\-----+
| | \ | | |v |
| B | A | | B | A |
| | | | | |
+-----------+ +-----------+
5 6
+-----.-----+ +-----.-----+
| | | | | |
| Y | X | | Y | X |
| | / | | \ | |
+-------/---+ +----\------+
+- - - / - -| +- - -\- - -|
+-----/-----+ +------\----+
| v| | | | v |
| B | A | | B | A |
| | | | | |
+-----------+ +-----------+
AB playing XY. AB wins the service and A decides
to serve. X agrees to receive.
1. A services from the right hand court to X in
his right hand court. AB wins the rally. The score
is one-love. (love=zero)
2. A serves from the left hand court to Y in his
left hand court. AB win the rally. The score is
two-love.
3. A serves from the right hand court to X in his
right-hand court. XY win the rally. The score
stays the same.
4. Service passes to XY. (The first side to serve
in a game begins one down.) Score is love-two. The
score of the side about to serve is called
first. X, being in the right-hand court, takes the
service and serves to A who was in the right hand
court at the commencement of the last rally. XY
win the rally. The score is one-two.
5. X serves from the left hand court to B in his
left hand court. AB win the rally. X loves his
service. XY are now down and Y takes the
service. The score stays the same. (1-2)
6. Y serves from his right hand court (the court
he was in at the commencement of the last rally)
to A in his right hand court. AB win the rally. Y
loses his service. XY are now two down and AB
takes the service. The score stays the same. (2-1)
A being in the right hand court, takes the
serve. He serves until AB lose a rally, when the
service passes to B.
