Learn to play

Badminton is an easy and fun sport to play. Below, we’ve outlined some of the official rules to help you get started wherever you are!

The Aim of the Game

Badminton is played over the best of three games, first to 21 for each game. Points are given when one of the following happens:

Winning Points

• The shuttle hits the court floor on your opponent's side within the lines
• The shuttle is hit out of the court lines and reaches the floor by your opponent
• The shuttle fails to reach your side of the net
• The shuttle is served above the waist when you’re receiving

Basic Rules

• The server is required to hit the shuttle below the hip when serving. If the serve is above the hip, this is deemed a fault
• A shuttle can only be hit once upon returning a serve/shot
• The shuttle must be volleyed over the net to continue play
• A serve must be served diagonally with the opponents standing within their respective diagonal boxes
• Players cannot make contact with the net
• The service is always given to the winner of the previous point, meaning it will alternate on the point won.
• The server must alternate their location from the left box to the right box or vice versa when maintaining the serve
   

If you want to learn to play, you have two options:

1. You can find a local BV-affiliated club that offers coaching. Use our Club Finder page to find a club convenient for you.

2. You can employ a private coach for one-on-one or small-group coaching. Qualified coaches can be found on our Coach Finder page.