How to score points
- Points are scored by grounding the shuttlecock before your opponent can return it.
- The shuttle should be grounded in designated court areas on the opponent’s side of the net to score a point.
- Points get awarded to you if your opponent commits a fault or fails to return the shuttlecock. Points may be won even if a player does not have service.
- A full game is played to 21 points but variations such as 15 and 7 can be used to have quicker games.
- If scores get tied at 20-20 the winner is the first player who gets ahead by two, clear points.
Serving rules
- Players must serve the shuttle diagonally and always start the game from the right-hand box. A player shall always serve from the left-hand box if they have an odd number of points, and right-hand box if they have 0 or an even number of points (see point 6 for further explanation).
- Receiving players do not swap sides of court.
- Every time there is a serve, a point is scored.
- If the serving side wins the rally, the serving side scores a point and the same server serves again from the alternate box.
- If receiving side wins the rally, the receiving side scores a point. The receiving side becomes the new serving side.
- The order of the server depends on the score. Example, if receivers score a point bringing their score to 4 (even) and become the new servers whomever is in the right-hand box at the time becomes the new server (because all even scores are served from the right-hand box). If the score had been 5 (odd) whomever was stood in the left-hand box would become the new server.
- The shuttle must reach your opponents’ service box in their half of the court.
- The serve is good even if the shuttlecock hits the top of the net providing it reaches the service boundaries.
- Overarm service is not allowed so underarm action should always be used, swinging the racquet from below your waist.
- If your first serve goes out, then your opponent wins the point and the service turns over.
Faults
- A player loses the rally if they commit any of the following faults;
- Fail to return the shuttle into their opponents’ side of the court
- If the player touches the net with their racquet or body when the shuttle is in play
- If the player contacts the shuttle on the opponents’ side of the net
- If the shuttle is hit twice in succession
- If the server misses the shuttle while serving
- If the shuttle touches the body or the players clothing