Badminton doubles rules

• A game is played to 21 points, and you must win by 2.
• At 29-all, the 30th point wins the game.
• The winners of the previous game serve first in the next one.
• Change ends after every game, and in game 3 when the leading side reaches 11.
• 60-second break when the leading score reaches 11; 2 minutes between games.

The server and the receiver stand in diagonally opposite service courts. The serve must travel diagonally over the net and land inside the receiver's service court; a shuttle on the line is in. In doubles the service court is the full width of the court (side alleys included) but stops at the doubles long service line, the line 0.76 m in from the back.

• The whole shuttle is below 1.15 m from the floor when it is hit (BWF Laws).
• The racket points downward at the moment of contact.
• The racket first hits the base of the shuttle, and the shuttle is released without spin (spin serves have been banned since 2025).
• The serve is one smooth forward movement: no feinting, no stopping partway.
• Some part of both feet stays on the floor, off the lines, until the shuttle is hit. This applies to the receiver too.

Your own team's score decides which court the serve comes from. There is no "second server" in rally point doubles.

Serving team's score	Serve from	Examples
Even	Right service court	0 2 14 20
Odd	Left service court	1 7 13 21

The serving team wins the rally

They score, and the same player serves again from the other court. The two partners swap sides.

The receiving team wins the rally

They score and take over the serve. Nobody swaps sides. Whoever is standing in the court that matches the team's new score serves: right if it is even, left if it is odd.

A fault gives the point to the other side. It is a fault if:

• The serve breaks any of the serving rules above, or the receiver moves before the serve is hit
• The shuttle lands outside the court, does not cross the net, or goes under or through it
• A player touches the net with their racket, body or clothing while the shuttle is in play
• A player reaches over the net to hit the shuttle before it has come to their side (following through over the net after a legal hit is fine)
• The shuttle touches the ceiling, a wall, or a person
• The same player hits it twice in a row, or both partners hit it one after the other
• The shuttle is caught and held on the racket, or slung rather than hit cleanly
• A player deliberately distracts or obstructs an opponent

A let stops the rally. Nothing is scored and the rally is replayed by the same server. Call a let when:

• The server serves before the receiver is ready (and the receiver has not tried to return it)
• The shuttle is caught on top of the net after crossing it
• Server and receiver both commit a fault on the serve at the same time
• The shuttle breaks apart and the base separates from the feathers
• Something unforeseen interrupts play, for example a shuttle from the next court rolling onto yours

Is a shuttle that lands on the line in or out?

In. The lines are part of the court, on a serve and during the rally.

Are the side alleys in play in doubles?

Yes. In doubles the full width is in play for both the serve and the rally. The only difference on the serve is depth: the long service line for doubles is the line 0.76 m in from the back, so a serve landing in that last strip is out.

What if we lose track of who serves?

Use the score. The serving team's score tells you the court (even is right, odd is left), and the player standing in that court serves.

Can I hit the shuttle once it is over the net?

Not before it has crossed to your side. You can follow through over the net after a legal hit, but you cannot touch the net or reach across to meet the shuttle early.

What if the shuttle hits the ceiling?

Under the BWF Laws that is a fault. Low ceilings and beams are common in community halls, so many groups agree a house rule (replay, or play on) before starting.

Do we have to take the 60-second break at 11?

Official play does. At a pickup session it is common to skip it or use it as a quick water break. Keep the change of ends at 11 in game 3 so nobody keeps the better end.