Scoring

Previously in badminton, you could only win a point on your serve. So for example, if you won a rally while your opponent was serving, you did not win that point. Instead you won the serve. Then if you won the rally, having served the point was awarded to you. The games were played to 11 for ladies singles and mens singles and doubles were played to 15.

The 21 point system was introduced in 2005 and was a major change in the scoring system. All games are now played to 21 and points are scored regardless of who served. This change favoured dominant aggressive play, particularly in doubles.

Serving and Scoring

The rally is started with a serve. Who serves first is normally decided by tossing the shuttle and seeing who it points to. In doubles the partners can discuss amongst themselves who serves first.

Which side of the court the serve come from depends on the score. Even points serve from the right and odd from the left. The serve will always be to the diagonal opposite of your opponents side of the court. The game is always started serving from the right as zero is an even number.

If you win a rally you score a point and it is your serve. However if you loose the rally then your opponent wins the point and it is their serve. Therefore every time you serve it should be from alternate sides of the court.

In doubles it is a little more confusing for beginners and even for league players occassionally but it is basically the same principle. The teams decide who serve and who receives. The server serves as usual from the right for even points and left for odd points. Should that pair win the rally, the person who served keeps the serve. It does not pass to the other person in the pair.

However should they loose the rally, the serve will pass over to the opponents who will serve from the relevant side depending on the score. Whoever chose to receive the serve will be on the right of their half of the court. So therefore the other person on the left will serve first as their score will be 1. This person maintains the serve until they lose the rally. The serve will alternate between all four players throughout the game.

Winning a Game

A game is won when one side reaches 21 points before the other. In the event of both opponents reaching 20 - 20 then two clear points are required to take the game. If no team can get two clear points up to 29 all then the first to thirty will win.

See the video below to see an exciting match between China and Korea in the World Championship Finals in 2009 that went to 28 - 26