This is Part 9 of Sports Explained, our 12-part series of simple guides to the rules of the sports Indians love. New here? Start with Part 1: Cricket Formats, or read the previous part, Part 8: Hockey.
Badminton is one of India's most successful Olympic sports, with medals from Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu and a historic Thomas Cup win in 2022. It is also a sport in the middle of a big change: the scoring system is being shortened. Here is how it works now, and what changes next.
The basics
- Played as singles (one versus one) or doubles (two versus two, including mixed doubles).
- The aim is to land the shuttlecock inside your opponent's court, or force them into an error.
- Each player gets one hit per side, and the shuttle must not touch the floor on your side.
Current scoring: 21-point rally scoring
- Matches are best of three games.
- Every rally wins a point, no matter who served (this is called rally scoring).
- A game is won by the first to 21 points, but you must lead by 2. At 20-all, play continues until someone is 2 clear.
- There is a cap: at 29-all, the next point wins the game 30-29.
- Players get a short break when the leader reaches 11, and between games.
The new format: best of three games to 15
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has voted to move to a shorter 3x15 format, coming into force for international play from 4 January 2027. The key numbers:
- Games to 15 points, still with rally scoring and still best of three.
- At 14-all, you need a 2-point lead.
- The cap moves to 21: at 20-all, the next point wins.
- The mid-game interval comes when the leader reaches 8.
The aim is shorter matches, more pressure on every point, and less strain on players across a packed calendar. Indian domestic events have also started moving to the new format, so young players get used to it early.
Serving rules
- The serve must be hit underhand, with the shuttle below 1.15 metres from the floor at the moment of contact.
- The server stands in the right service court when their score is even, and the left when it is odd.
- The serve goes diagonally into the opposite service court.
- In singles, the service area is long and narrow. In doubles, it is shorter but wider.
- If the serving side wins the rally, the same player serves again from the other court. If they lose, the serve passes over.
Common faults
- The shuttle lands outside the lines (a shuttle landing on the line is in).
- The shuttle hits the net and fails to cross, or goes under it.
- A player touches the net or the posts with racket or body during play.
- A player reaches over the net to hit the shuttle (following through after the hit is allowed).
- The shuttle is hit twice in a row by the same side.
India's badminton story
- Prakash Padukone and Pullela Gopichand both won the All England Championships, then the sport's biggest title.
- Saina Nehwal won India's first Olympic badminton medal, a bronze at London 2012.
- PV Sindhu won Olympic silver in 2016 and bronze in 2020, plus the 2019 World Championship.
- Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty became the world's top-ranked men's doubles pair and won Asian Games gold in 2023.
- India won the Thomas Cup, the men's world team championship, for the first time in 2022.
Quick summary
Every rally scores. For now, games go to 21, win by 2, with a cap at 30. From January 2027, they go to 15, win by 2, with a cap at 21. Serve underhand and diagonally, from the right court on even scores. Lines are in.
Rules are explained as they stand in October 2026. Governing bodies update their rules regularly, so check the latest official regulations for any competition.
Next in the series: Part 10: Chess Ratings and Titles.
