The objective is simple: hit the shuttlecock over the net and into the opponent's court so it cannot be returned, while keeping your own returns in play. Every rally ends when the shuttle touches the floor, is hit out of bounds, fails to cross the net, or a player commits a fault. Under the rally-point system, the side winning the rally scores a point and, if it lost the previous rally, also wins the serve.
A contest is a compact, high-tempo test of power, control and endurance. Matches are decided over the best of three games to 21 points, with a two-point margin required and a hard cap at 30. Play is continuous but for two short intervals, and the shuttle's rapid deceleration means every point can pivot from an all-out smash to a whisper-quiet net exchange and back again.
Scoring at a glance
Core rules
Rally-point scoring
Since 2006, every rally scores a point regardless of who served, replacing the old service-only system. A game is played to 21 points; the winner must lead by at least two, so a game can extend past 21 in a deuce. If the score reaches 29-29, the next point wins at 30 — the absolute cap. A side that wins a rally serves next. Winning two games takes the match, and there is no need to play a third game if the first two are won.
The serve
The serve must be delivered underhand and, since 2018, struck below a fixed height of 1.15 metres from the court, with the racket shaft pointing downward. Both feet stay stationary and in contact with the floor. The shuttle is hit diagonally into the opponent's service court. The server's score determines the court used: from the right (even) court when the score is even, from the left (odd) court when it is odd. A wrong service court or an illegal action is a service fault.
Singles court and boundaries
In singles the court is 5.18 metres wide, using the inner side lines but the outer (long) back boundary. The narrow side tramlines are out. The long, thin singles court rewards deep clears and precise placement into the four corners, forcing the opponent to cover the maximum distance from a central base. A serve must land beyond the short service line and inside the singles side and long boundary lines.
Doubles court and rotation
In doubles the court is 6.1 metres wide, using the full outer side lines but a shorter service court — the serve must land inside the doubles long service line, roughly 0.76 m short of the back line. Only one player serves per turn, and there is no second serve. Partners typically rotate between an attacking front-and-back formation and a defensive side-by-side shape depending on who holds the initiative in the rally.
Change of ends and intervals
Players change ends after each game and again in the deciding third game when the leading score first reaches 11. A 60-second interval is taken when a player reaches 11 points in a game, and a 120-second interval separates games. These breaks allow brief coaching. Play is otherwise continuous, and stalling — excessive delays, extra shuttle changes or leaving the court without permission — can be penalised by the umpire.
The shuttlecock
A feather shuttle has exactly 16 feathers, traditionally from the left wing of a goose, fixed in a cork base and weighing 4.74 to 5.50 grams. Its skirt creates enormous drag, so the shuttle decelerates faster than any other projectile in sport — explaining why a 400 km/h smash can be returned. Synthetic (nylon) shuttles are used at club level for durability. Shuttle speed is graded, and umpires test flight length so the shuttle carries the correct distance in prevailing conditions.
In, out and the rally
A shuttle landing on a line is in. During a rally each side may hit the shuttle only once before it crosses the net, and it must be struck before it touches the ground. A return that lands outside the boundaries, fails to pass the net, or passes through or under the net is a fault, ending the rally in the opponent's favour. Contact with the shuttle after it has clearly gone out is not penalised if the player waits.
Lets
A let halts play and the rally is replayed with no change to the score. Lets are called when the server serves before the receiver is ready, when the shuttle lodges in the net after passing over on service, when a shuttle from another court intrudes, or when the umpire cannot decide a call. Since the introduction of instant review, players in top events may challenge line calls using the Hawk-Eye system rather than relying on a let.
Fouls & penalties
Service faults
The serve is one of the sport's most policed moments. A fault is called if the shuttle is struck above the fixed 1.15 m service height, if the racket head is not clearly below the hand or the shaft not pointing down, if a foot moves or leaves the floor, if the serve is delayed with a feint, or if the shuttle is delivered into the wrong service court. Service-judge scrutiny at elite events is intense because a low, tight serve is a decisive weapon, especially in doubles.
Faults in play
The rally is lost if a returned shuttle lands outside the court boundaries, fails to cross the net, passes through or under the net, or touches the ceiling or side walls of the venue. It is also a fault if the shuttle lands on the wrong side or is not returned before hitting the floor. A shuttle striking a player or their clothing, on either side of the net, ends the rally against the player it touches.
Double hits and slings
Each side may contact the shuttle only once per return, and that contact must be a single, clean stroke. Hitting the shuttle twice, or having it touch the racket and then the body, is a fault. So is a sling or carry — holding and then throwing the shuttle with the racket face rather than striking it crisply. In doubles, both partners swinging and one touching the shuttle counts as a single legal hit only if just one makes contact.
Net and over-the-net faults
A player must not touch the net, posts or the net cord with racket, body or clothing while the shuttle is in play. Reaching over the net to strike the shuttle is a fault, although the racket may follow through over the net after a legal contact made on the player's own side. Invading the opponent's court under the net so as to obstruct or distract them is also penalised, as is any interference with an opponent's stroke.
Obstruction and distraction
Players may not deliberately distract an opponent — for example by shouting, gesturing or making unnecessary noise — nor obstruct a legitimate stroke made near the net. Deliberately delaying play to disrupt the opponent's rhythm, or receiving illegal coaching while the shuttle is in play, draws a warning and then a fault under the umpire's misconduct powers, which escalate from a caution to a fault, and ultimately to disqualification for repeated or serious offences.
Match format
A singles or doubles match is the best of three games, each played to 21 points under rally scoring; a side must lead by two to close a game, with a sudden-death point at 29-29 deciding it at 30. Winning two games ends the match, so a straight-games win skips the third. Players change ends after every game and midway through the decider at 11 points, with a one-minute interval taken at 11 in every game and a two-minute break between games.
There is no clock: a match lasts as long as the rallies dictate, from around 30 minutes for a lopsided contest to well over an hour and a half for an epic three-gamer. The winner is simply the side that takes two games. In team competitions such as the Thomas, Uber and Sudirman Cups, ties are decided across several such matches — typically a combination of singles and doubles rubbers — with the first nation to win the majority taking the tie.
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