THE LAWS OF BADMINTON

Mr. Marcelino M. Ona Jr.

 THE LAWS OF BADMINTON
•The Laws of Badminton and
Competition Regulations in the
BWF Statutes provide the detail
on every aspect of the game
of badminton.
 SCORING SYSTEM
• A match consists of the best of 3 games of 21 points.
• Every time there is a serve – there is a point scored.
• The side winning a rally adds a point to its score.
• At 20 all, the side which gains a 2 point lead first,
wins that game.
• At 29 all, the side scoring the 30th point, wins that
game.
• The side winning a game serves first in the next
game.
 INTERVAL AND CHANGE OF ENDS
•When the leading score reaches 11
points, players have a 60 second interval.
•A 2 minute interval between each game
is allowed.
•In the third game, players change ends
when the leading score reaches 11
points.
 SINGLES
• At the beginning of the game (0-0) and when the
server’s score is even, the server serves from the right
service court. When the server’s score is odd, the
server serves from the left service court.
• If the server wins a rally, the server scores a point and
then serves again from the alternate service court.
• If the receiver wins a rally, the receiver scores a point
and becomes the new server. They serve from the
appropriate service court – left if their score is odd,
and right if it is even.
 DOUBLES
• A side has only one ‘set’.
• The service passes consecutively to the players.
• At the beginning of the game and when the score is
even, the server serves from the right service court.
When it 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.
 DOUBLES
• 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.
• If players commit an error in the service court, the error is
corrected when the mistake is discovered.
• In a doubles match between A & B against C & D. A &
B won the toss and decided to serve. A to serve to C. A
shall be the initial server while C shall be the initial
receiver.
 Course of action / Score Service from Server & Winner of
Explanation Service Court Receiver the rally
Love Right Service Court. A serves A
All Being the score of the to C A &
serving side is even. and C are B
the initial
server
and
receiver.
A & B win a point. A & B will change service 1-0 Left Service Court. A serves C
courts. A serves again from Left service court. Being the score of the to D &
C & D will stay in the same service courts. serving side is odd D

C & D win a point and also right to serve. 1-1 Left Service Court. D serves A
Nobody will change their respective service Being the score of the to A. &
courts. serving side is odd. B

A & B win a point and also right to serve. 2-1 Right Service Court. B serves C
Nobody will change their respective service Being the score of the to C &
courts. serving side is even. D

C & D win a point and also right to serve. 2-2 Right Service Court. C serves C
Nobody will change their respective service Being the score of the to B &
courts. serving side is even. D

C & D win a point. C & D will change service 3-2 Left Service Court. C serves A
courts. C serves from Left service court. A & B Being the score of the to A &
will stay in the same service courts. serving side is odd. B

A & B win a point and also right to serve. 3-3 Left Service Court. A serves A
Nobody will change their respective service Being the score of the to C &
courts. serving side is odd. B

A & B win a point. A & B will change service 4-3 Right Service Court. A serves C
courts. A serves again from Right service Being the score of the to D &
court. C & D will stay in the same service serving side is even. D
courts.
 SERVICE COURT ERRORS
• A service court error has been made when a
player:
1. has served or received out of turn;
2. has served or received from the wrong
service court;
• If a service court error is discovered, the error
shall be corrected and the existing score shall
stand.
 FAULTS
• It shall be a ‘fault’:
1. if a service is not correct;
2. if, in service, the shuttle:
2.1 is caught on the net and remains
suspended on its top;
2.2 after passing over the net, is caught
in the net; or
2.3 is hit by the receiver’s partner;
 FAULTS
• 3 if in play, the shuttle:
3.1 lands outside the boundaries of the court (i.e. not on or within the boundary
lines);
3.2 fails to pass over the net;
3.3 touches the ceiling or side walls;
3.4 touches the person or dress of a player;
3.5 touches any other object or person outside the court;
3.6 is caught and held on the racket and then slung during the execution of a
stroke;
3.7 is hit twice in succession by the same player. However, a shuttle hitting the
head and the stringed area of the racket in one stroke shall not be a ‘fault’;
3.8 is hit by a player and the player’s partner successively; or
3.9 touches a player’s racket and does not travel towards the opponent’s
court;
 FAULTS
• 4 if, in play, a player:
4.1 touches the net or its supports with racket, person or dress;
4.2 invades an opponent’s court over the net with racket or
person except that the striker may follow the shuttle over the net with
the racket in the course of a stroke after the initial point of contact with
the shuttle is on the striker’s side of the net;
4.3 invades an opponent’s court under the net with racket or
person such that an opponent is obstructed or distracted; or
4.4 obstructs an opponent, i.e. prevents an opponent from
making a legal stroke where the shuttle is followed over the net;
4.5 deliberately distracts an opponent by any action such as
shouting or making gestures;
 LETS
• 1‘Let’ shall be called by the umpire, or by a player (if there is
no umpire), to halt play.
• 2 It shall be a ‘let”, if:
2.1 the server serves before the receiver is ready (Law
9.4);
2.2 during service, the receiver and the server are both
faulted;
2.3 after the service is returned, the shuttle is:
2.3.1 caught on the net and remains suspended on its
top, or
2.3.2 after passing over the net is caught in the net;
 LETS
• 2.4 during play, the shuttle disintegrates and the base
completely separates from the rest of the shuttle;
• 2.5 in the opinion of the umpire, play is disrupted or a
player of the opposing side is distracted by a coach;
• 2.6 a line judge is unsighted and the umpire is unable to
make a decision; or
• 2.7 any unforeseen or accidental situation has occurred.
• 3 When a ‘let’ occurs, play since the last service shall not
count and the player who served last shall serve again.
 SHUTTLE NOT IN PLAY
A shuttle is not in play when:
• 1 it strikes the net or post and starts to fall
towards the surface of the court on the
striker’s side of the net;
• 2 it hits the surface of the court; or
• 3 a ‘fault’ or a ‘let’ has occurred.
 OFFICIALS IN BADMINTON

•Referee
•Umpire, Two types, Chair Umpire and
Service Umpire
•Line Judge
•Mopper
 REFEREE IN BADMINTON
• A referee in badminton acts like a manager who’s
job is to conduct matches in a tournament in a
proper manner and resolve any dispute if a situation
arises.
• Other duties of tournament referee are to make a
doctor available if a player gets injured or if the
tapping of the court came off, ensuring that
matches and practice schedules in a tournament
are properly set up and many more.
 POWER OF A TOURNAMENT
REFEREE IN BADMINTON
• Referee can only take the decision regarding things
outside the court meaning that other than the
matches where an umpire has been appointed, the
Tournament referee has influence over it like
changing court for a match, schedule ( In
emergency), etc.
• We can say that the roles of a referee can also be
counted as his power.
 UMPIRE IN BADMINTON
In Badminton, there are two types of
umpires
•Chair Umpire
•Service Umpire/Judge
 CHAIR UMPIRE IN BADMINTON
• A referee is in-charge of a tournament but
during a match, it is the chair umpire who acts
as the main official meaning that all decision
was taken by umpire whether right or wrong is
final.
• The job of a chair umpire is to make sure that
the match is conducted according to the rules
prescribed by BWF.
 DUTIES OF A CHAIR UMPIRE
• Doing toss of the coin to decide who will serve and who will play on which
court
• Introducing players to the crowd by taking their name on the mic(if
provided)
• Keeping a record of the score during the entire match and telling the same
on the mic(if provided) before each serve.
• Ensuring that the match is conducted in a peaceful manner
• Checking for net faults (if a player touches the net during a rally) or any
other fault except regarding service because it is the duty of service judge
• Calling mopper(with hand signals) if a player asks for the same ( only if
necessary)
 POWERS OF CHAIR UMPIRE
A player should always keep in mind that chair umpire is the top
official during a match and doing anything against the rules even
after warning from umpire can cause disqualification.
These are some of the powers of chair umpire
• He has the power to overrule line judge decision meaning that if
he is certain that the decision made by line judge is wrong than
it is in his power to change line call from OUT to IN and vice
versa.
• He got the authority to give cards to the player on misconduct,
there are three types of card in badminton, yellow(warning),
red(gives one point to the opponent), black(disqualify).
 SERVICE JUDGE/UMPIRE IN
BADMINTON
• In badminton, the role of a service Umpire is to
incept whether the server is doing the service by the
rules determined by BWF.
• It is important to know that it is he who can give
service fault to the player and not the chair umpire,
Service judge uses hand signals if a fault is
committed by the player to tell chair umpire that a
fault has been committed by the server.
 HAND SIGNALS USED BY SERVICE JUDGE
There are five types of faults which a service judge looks for
• Foot Fault:- When a player moves during the service or his foot is
touching the midcourt line
• Shuttle above legal height:- If the server hits the shuttle above a height
of 1.15m
• Racket head not pointing down:- If racket head of the server is above
or parallel to his racket handle joint(with shaft)
• Touching feather first:- Your racket face should hit the bottom of the
shuttle first.
• Double action:- the serving player make double action with racket
before hitting the shuttle.
 DUTIES OF SERVICE JUDGE
To make sure that players are following service rules
set by BWF
• Give shuttle to players for warm-up
• If chair umpire allows, changing the shuttle to a new
one during a match
Power of Service Judge in Badminton
• The service judge decision is final when it comes to
service faults and it cannot be overruled.
 LINE JUDGE IN BADMINTON
• There are so many lines in a badminton court
and chair umpire cannot make the decision
on all of the shots that is why there are linemen
sitting along the court to see whether a shuttle
is IN or OUT.
• Depending on the level of a tournament,
there may be as many as 10 line judges
assigned to a court for a particular match.
 DUTY OF LINEMAN
• The only role of a lineman is to tell the chair umpire
whether the shuttle was IN or OUT that is it.
• But one to note that a lineman only makes call for
his/her line meaning that if a lineman making calls
for backcourt vertical line and if shuttle land OUT of
horizontal line but IN on his line than he will make
hand signal of IN whereas the lineman who is sitting
on that horizontal line will call shuttle out.
 HAND SIGNALS USED BY LINEMAN
There are three types of hand signals made by lineman
• When the shuttle is IN:- Lineman will make pledge
gesture with his hand
• When the shuttle is OUT:- He will extend both of his arm
making a straight line from his one hand to another
hand.
• When he does not know:- when the lineman is not
certain if the shuttle was IN or OUT due to reason like
player covered the line etc. He covers his eyes with both
hands.
 POWER OF LINEMEN IN BADMINTON

Not authority is given to linemen other than making

line calls, there used to be a time where if a lineman
has made a call whether right or wrong it cannot be
overruled or challenged but now badminton has
evolved very much
There are two ways by which the decision of lineman
can be changed
• If Chair umpire feels that the decision was wrong
• If the player decides to use hawkeye.
WHERE DO LINEMEN SIT
These stars are showing where
do linemen sit, but it is not
necessary that every line
should be monitored by him it
depends on how important a
match is.

3 on backcourt on each side

2 on the service line
2 on backcourt looking at
their vertical line
 REFERENCES
• Laws of Badminton
• https://badmintonisgreat.com/badminton-officials