Badminton (BWF) — Official Rules

The court is a rectangle marked out with lines 40 mm wide. For singles the court is 5.18 m wide; for doubles it is 6.10 m wide. The full length is 13.40 m in both cases (diagonal of the full court 14.723 m). All lines form part of the area they define. The short service line is 1.98 m from the net, and in doubles the back boundary (long service) line for service is 0.76 m inside the rear boundary.

The posts are 1.55 m high from the court surface and stand on the doubles side lines. The net is 760 mm deep and at least 6.1 m wide, made of dark fine cord with a mesh of 15-20 mm, its top edged with a 75 mm white tape. The top of the net is 1.524 m at the centre of the court and 1.55 m over the side lines. There shall be no gaps between the net and the posts.

A feathered shuttle has 16 feathers fixed in the base. The feathers are a uniform 62 mm to 70 mm long measured from tip to base, with their tips on a circle 58 mm to 68 mm in diameter. The base is 25 mm to 28 mm in diameter and rounded. The shuttle shall weigh from 4.74 to 5.50 grams. Non-feathered (synthetic) shuttles must reproduce the flight of a feathered shuttle, with up to 10% variation in the specified measurements permitted.

The racket frame shall not exceed 680 mm in overall length and 230 mm in overall width. The stringed area shall be flat, with crossed strings, and shall not exceed 280 mm in length and 220 mm in width (the strings may extend into the throat up to a total length of 330 mm). The racket shall be free of attached objects and protrusions other than those that limit wear, vibration or weight, or secure the handle.

Before play commences a toss shall be conducted. The side winning the toss chooses either to serve or receive first, or to start at one end of the court or the other. The side losing the toss then exercises the remaining choice.

A match consists of the best of three games. Rally-point scoring applies: the side winning a rally adds one point to its score. A side wins a rally if the opponent commits a fault or the shuttle lands inside the opponent's court. The side winning a game serves first in the next game.

A game is won by the side that first scores 21 points, except: if the score reaches 20-all, the side that gains a two-point lead first wins; and if the score reaches 29-all, the side scoring the 30th point wins (the 30-point cap). These figures are in force throughout 2026 under the 21-point (3x21) system.

The side winning two games wins the match. A best-of-three match therefore ends 2-0 or 2-1. A match may also end by retirement (a player is unable to continue) or walkover (a player fails to appear or is disqualified), in which case the opponent is awarded the match.

Players change ends: at the end of the first game; at the end of the second game if a third is to be played; and in the third (deciding) game when a side first scores 11 points. If ends are not changed as required, it shall be done as soon as the mistake is noticed and the shuttle is not in play; the existing score stands.

In a correct service: neither side shall cause undue delay; the server and receiver shall stand in diagonally opposite service courts without touching the boundary lines; part of both feet of server and receiver shall remain stationary in contact with the court from the start until delivery; the server's racket shall initially hit the base of the shuttle; and the racket's movement shall continue forwards from the start until the service is delivered. In attempting to serve, the server shall not miss the shuttle.

At the instant the server's racket hits the shuttle, the whole shuttle shall be below 1.15 metres from the court surface. This is a fixed height that applies regardless of the player's height. There is no longer any requirement that the racket head be in a downward direction at impact; the only height test is the fixed 1.15 m line (under In Force 31/05/2019). The shuttle's flight from the racket must be upwards over the net into the receiver's service court.

Service alternates by score parity. The server serves from, and the receiver receives in, the right service court when the server's score is 0 or even, and the left service court when the server's score is odd. In singles, if the server wins the rally, the server scores and serves again from the alternate service court; if the receiver wins, the receiver scores and becomes the new server.

In doubles only one player serves per turn of serving (no second-server rotation). A player of the serving side serves from the right court when the side's score is even, the left court when odd. The player of the receiving side who served last stays in the same service court; the diagonally opposite player is the receiver. The right to serve passes consecutively: from the initial server, to the partner of the initial receiver, to the partner of the initial server, to the initial receiver, and so on. No player serves out of turn or receives two consecutive services in the same game (except as corrected under service-court errors).

A service court error occurs when a player has served or received out of turn, or from the wrong service court. When a service court error is discovered, the error shall be corrected and the existing score shall stand (under the current Law there is no longer a 'before/after next service' penalty distinction).

It is a fault if a service is not correct (Law on service). In service it is also a fault if the shuttle is caught on the net and remains suspended on its top, is caught in the net after passing over it, or is hit by the receiver's partner. A service fault by the server awards the rally (and a point) to the receiving side.

In play it is a fault if the shuttle: lands outside the boundaries, fails to pass over the net, touches the ceiling or side walls, touches a player or their dress, touches an object/person outside the court, is slung or held on the racket, is hit twice in succession by the same player, is hit by a player and partner successively, or touches the racket and does not travel toward the opponent's court.

It is a fault if, in play, a player: touches the net or its supports with racket, person or dress; invades the opponent's court over the net (except that the striker may follow the shuttle over the net after the contact point on their own side); invades under the net so that an opponent is obstructed or distracted; obstructs an opponent by preventing a legal stroke where the shuttle is followed over the net; or deliberately distracts an opponent by shouting or gestures.

A 'let' halts play and the last server serves again; play since the last service does not count. A let is called when: the server serves before the receiver is ready; both server and receiver are faulted during service; after a return, the shuttle is caught on the net top or caught in the net; the shuttle disintegrates (base separates) in play; play is disrupted or a player is distracted by a coach; a line judge is unsighted and the umpire cannot decide; or any unforeseen or accidental situation occurs.

The shuttle is not in play when: it strikes the net or post and starts to fall toward the court on the striker's side; it hits the surface of the court; or a fault or let has occurred. A rally runs continuously from the service until one of these ends it.

Play is continuous from the first service until the match concludes, with two interval types allowed in all matches: an interval not exceeding 60 seconds during each game when the leading score reaches 11 points, and an interval not exceeding 120 seconds between the first and second games and between the second and third games. For televised matches the Referee may make these intervals mandatory and of fixed duration. There are no team timeouts in badminton.

When circumstances are beyond the players' control, the umpire (or, in special cases, on the Referee's instruction) may suspend play; the existing score stands and play resumes from that point. Play shall never be delayed to let a player recover strength or wind, or to receive advice; a player may only receive advice when the shuttle is not in play and may not leave the court without the umpire's permission except during intervals.

A player shall not deliberately cause delay or suspension, deliberately modify or damage the shuttle, behave offensively, or commit other misconduct. The umpire administers a breach by: issuing a warning to the offending side; faulting the offending side if previously warned; or faulting in cases of flagrant offence. On a fault penalty the umpire reports the side to the Referee, who may disqualify the offending side from the match. These three stages are shown with cards: a yellow card is the warning, a red card is the fault (a point to the opponent), and a black card is disqualification, issued only on the Referee's authority.

The Referee is in overall charge of the tournament. The umpire is in charge of the match, the court and its surrounds and reports to the Referee. The service judge calls service faults by the server. Line judges indicate whether a shuttle landed 'in' or 'out'. An official's decision is final on matters of fact, except that the umpire may overrule a line judge if it is beyond reasonable doubt the call was clearly wrong, and that an Instant Review System, where in operation, decides line-call challenges.

Where the Instant Review System (Hawk-Eye) is in operation, a player/pair may challenge a line call or an umpire's overrule of a line call. Each player/pair has two challenges per MATCH (not per game). If a challenge is unsuccessful the player/pair loses one challenge; two unsuccessful challenges leave no further challenges for the rest of the match. A successful challenge is retained (not lost). A challenge must be made promptly, before the next service.

The decision of the Instant Review System is final. If the review shows the shuttle was IN when called OUT (play had stopped), the rally is replayed. If the review shows the shuttle was OUT when called IN, the challenging side wins the rally (a point is awarded). Challenge outcomes are recorded and the player's remaining challenges are updated accordingly.

At the BWF Annual General Meeting on 25 April 2026 (Horsens, Denmark), members approved a new 3x15 scoring system that takes effect 4 January 2027 - it is adopted but not in force during 2026. Under 3x15: matches remain best of three games; each game is played to 15 points with rally-point scoring; at 14-all the side gaining a two-point lead wins; a cap of 21 points applies, so at 20-all the next point wins. The mid-game interval moves to 8 points and, in the deciding third game, ends are changed at 8 points; the 120-second between-games interval is unchanged. Until 4 January 2027, all matches use the 21-point (3x21) system described in Chapter 3.