Badminton - Basic Rules

SCORING AND SERVING

* 15 points are required to win a set (11 for women) with possible exceptions:

* If the score is 13-13 the player who reached 13 first is allowed to decide

* if he wants to end the set at 18 points or just to continue towards 15
     (women: 9-9 --> 11 or 12).

* If the score is 14-14 the player who reached 14 first is allowed to decide

* if he wants to end the set at 15 or 17 points, providing that 18 hasn't
  been selected already earlier (women: 10-10 --> 11 or 12).


2 sets won are required for victory in a game.

A player serves always from the right serving area across the court to the
left, when having an even amount of points. Correspondingly, when having
an odd amount of points, the player serves from left to right. Please
check out the hopefully clarifying figure if unclear.


SPECIALITIES FOR THE DOUBLES GAME

Players are named: Even and Odd

The Even player serves as explained above, but the Odd player serves
exactly in the opposite way.

A player servers as long as he is able to score points. After that his
team mate continues.

After both players on the team have lost their serve once, the other team
may start serving. The first serve comes always from the rigth serving
area and the first server, when having even points, is the Even player and
Odd player on odd points correspondingly.

SPECIAL EXCEPTION When a new set begins the team that serves first has
only one serve (even player).


OTHER RULES

The shuttle is allowed to "touch" the net, but the racket is NOT.

The player is not allowed to prevent the other players "swing" on the net
with his racket.

The shuttle landing on the line is considered IN.

While serving, the racket must hit the shuttle under the players waist
level and the feet are not allowed to move.

One must serve with one continuous "swing", i.e. you are not allowed to
stop the movement of the racket, once you've began the serve, until the
racket hits the shuttle.


Any comments, suggestions etc. concerning this service to Riku Soininen,
at riku@cs.tut.fi