Badminton – Essential Skills Training Course

Scoring 

Many players find the current scoring system confusing it may be that they remember or liked the old system or in the excitement of the rally they may lose track of the score, can’t remember which side to serve from or who is due to serve next.

If you are totally happy that you understand the rules around scoring then please either stop reading or double check the current set of rules as per the BWF (remember these rules do change every so often & the next anticipated rule change on scoring might happen next year!)

If you are not 100% certain you understand the scoring rules, please read on for a simplified explanation and some simple tips to help you.

Badminton scoring system – Doubles

• Each pair only has one serve.
• At the beginning of the game and when the score is even, the server serves from the right service court. When the score is odd, the server serves from the left court.
• If the serving side wins a rally, the serving side scores a point and the same server serves again from the alternate service court
• If the receiving side wins a rally, the receiving side scores a point. The receiving side becomes the new serving side.
• The players do not change their respective service courts until they win a point when their side is serving.2 groups.

Tips

 If you are the server then before serving try getting used to calling out the current score (loud enough both pairs to hear) – This gives any player the opportunity to query before playing the point.

1. 1. When you win a point when the opposition is serving then:

if your score is now even then the player to serve is the person who started on the even side

if your score is now odd then the player to serve is the person who started on the odd side

1. 3. Watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DombrMeRv4 if still unsure
   4. Watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6t46RA6KgY&t=1477s It’s an actual game from the 2025 All England Mixed doubles and apart from being an excellent game it’s easy to see that the logic above works

BWF Scoring Rules (at 26/04/25)

7. SCORING SYSTEM

A match shall consist of the best of three games, unless otherwise arranged (BWF Statutes, Section 4.1.3 and Section 4.1.4).

A game shall be won by the side which first scores 21 points, except as provided in Law 7.4 and 7.5.

The side winning a rally shall add a point to its score. A side shall win a rally, if the opposing side commits a ‘fault’ or the shuttle ceases to be in play because it touches the surface of the court inside the opponent’s court.

If the score becomes 20-all, the side which gains a two point lead first, shall win that game.

If the score becomes 29-all, the side scoring the 30th point shall win that game.

The side winning a game shall serve first in the next game.

11. DOUBLES

Serving and receiving courts

11.1.1. A player of the serving side shall serve from the right service court when the serving side has not scored or has scored an even number of points in that game.

11.1.2. A player of the serving side shall serve from the left service court when the serving side has scored an odd number of points in that game.

11.1.3. The player of the receiving side who served last shall stay in the same service court from where he served last. The reverse pattern shall apply to the receiver’s partner.

11.1.4. The player of the receiving side standing in the diagonally opposite service court to the server shall be the receiver.

11.1.5. The players shall not change their respective service courts until they win a point when their side is serving.

11.1.6. Service in any turn of serving shall be delivered from the service court corresponding to the serving side’s score, except as provided in Law 12.

11.3 DOUBLES

Scoring and serving

11.3.1. If the serving side wins a rally (Law 7.3), the serving side shall score a point. The server shall then serve again from the alternate service court.

11.3.2. If the receiving side wins a rally (Law 7.3), the receiving side shall score a point. The receiving side shall then become the new serving side.

Sequence of serving

In any game, the right to serve shall pass consecutively:

11.4.1. from the initial server who started the game from the right service court;

11.4.2. to the partner of the initial receiver;

11.4.3. to the partner of the initial server;

11.4.4. to the initial receiver;

11.4.5. to the initial server and so on.

No player shall serve or receive out of turn, or receive two consecutive services in the same game, except as provided in Law 12 or when a fault for misconduct is called.

Either player of the winning side may serve first in the next game, and either player of the losing side may receive first in the next game.