Badminton Doubles Rules

Whether you enjoy casual or competitive badminton, you may wish to participate in doubles. To play doubles successfully, you need good communication with your teammate as you play shots on the small court. But you don't have to make any major accommodations for doubles rules, which are almost exactly the same as singles rules. Just remember which lines are in play during doubles and the proper serving and receiving orders, and you're set for two-on-two badminton.

Court Dimensions

Standard badminton courts are marked with singles and doubles lines. The wider sidelines are used for doubles. The badminton court is about 44 feet long -- 13.4 meters, to be precise -- for singles and doubles. The doubles court is 20 feet wide, roughly 33 inches wider than the singles court. Unlike tennis, the badminton service court boundaries are different for doubles and singles. First, the wider sidelines also are part of the two doubles service courts, so the server has an extra 16.5 inches of width in which to hit the shuttle. However, the back of the service court moves forward about 28.3 inches in doubles. A shot is considered to be in play if it hits any boundary line.

Serving

Each game begins with a serve from the right service court. Thereafter, when the serve changes hands, the initial serve comes from the right court. The same server then alternates between the left and right service courts as long as his team retains serve. Either of a team's players can serve first at the start of a game. When the serve changes hands, the partner of the initial receiver must serve, followed thereafter by the partner of the initial server, then the initial receiver. The pattern continues for the remainder of the game.

Related Reading: Beginner Tennis Doubles Rules

Receiving the Serve

The team that receives the initial serve decides which player will return first. That player stands on the right side of the court. If the receiving team loses the first point, the partner of the initial receiver must handle the next serve. The players alternate thereafter, until their team wins a point and gains the serve. When a team loses its serve, its players must remain on the same sides of the court when the opponent serves. For example, if a player serves from the right court and his team loses the point, he remains in the right court and returns the opponent's next serve.

Considerations

There is no penalty for serving or returning in the wrong order. If you serve or receive out of turn, correct the mistake and play on. After the service and return, either of a team's players may hit the shuttle. Standard doubles scoring rules are the same as standard singles rules. A team scores a point whenever it wins a rally, whether the team is serving or receiving the serve. It takes 21 points to win a game unless the score reaches 20-20, in which case play continues until one team gains a two-point lead or reaches 30 points, whichever comes first. The first team to win two games wins the match.
Source-chron.