Badminton Rules

Best of 3 series to determine a winner. The first team to win two games will be declared the winner. The team that lost the previous game will serve first. 35 minute time limit will be enforced.

Fifteen points constitute the game. When the score is tied at 13 all, the side reaching 13 first chooses to finish the game at 15 points or to se the game at 5 points. When tied at 14 all, he/she chooses to play 1 or 3 points. Similarly, in 11 point games, the score may be set at 3 when the score is 9 all and at 2 when 10 all.

The service must be delivered to the diagonal service court. A bird that lands on a line is considered good. In singles the bird must land in the long, narrow court and in doubles in the short, wide court. A let serve is one in which the bird touches the top of the net, but lands in the proper service court and is served over. It is a fault unless it lands in the service court.

Only one service (trial) per player is allowed per inning (not like tennis), unless the bird is missed completely. The service alternates courts, starting in the right hand court at the beginning of the game, but thereafter service is made from the right hand court when the score is even (for that side) and from the left hand court when the score is odd (for that side). Only one hand is allowed the side beginning the serve in doubles the first inning, and two hands are allowed each inning thereafter. However, a member of the team can be in either court when the score is even or odd, but each member must be in his/her proper court, i.e., the same sides they were in when they made their first point. An easy way to remember: When the score is even partners should be in the courts in which they started the game.

It is a fault (loss of service or hand for the serving side and loss of point for the receiving side) when:

Service is illegal, i.e., the bird is struck when above the waist or the head of the racket is higher than the hand when hit.
Service or played shot lands outside the specified court, passes through or under the net, or hits a player or obstruction outside the court.
If server or receiver steps out of his proper court before delivery of serve. Only the person served to may return the bird.
A player reaches over the net to hit a bird. You may follow through over the net after striking a bird that is on your side.
A player touches the net with his/her racket of any part of his/her body.
A player hits the bird twice or momentarily holds or throw it with his/her racket.
A player fails to return the bird to the opponent’ proper court.
The server steps forward as he/she serves.
In doubles serve, a player may not “un-sight” the server.

If a team does not appear within 10 minutes of the scheduled time, they must forfeit.
Teams will referee their own games.
If a team forfeits twice they will not be eligible for the post-season tournament.
The ranking for a post-season tournament will go as follows:

If still tied then,