Doubles is the most popular way to play badminton at clubs, and also the most confusing for new players. The rally rules are the same as singles, but the court size for the serve and the serving order are different. Once you understand two ideas, the court and the rotation, everything else follows.
Doubles rules at a glance
- Rally court: full width (outer sidelines) and full length.
- Service court: short and wide. The serve must land between the short service line and the doubles long service line, inside the outer sideline.
- Serve from the right on an even score, the left on an odd score.
- If the serving side wins the rally, the same server serves again from the other court.
- If the receiving side wins, they score and serve, and nobody switches courts.
- Only the player diagonally opposite the server may receive the serve.
The doubles court
Doubles uses the whole court: 13.4 m long and 6.1 m wide, out to the outer sidelines. During a rally, every part of that area is in, including the strip at the back between the two back lines.
The serve is different. A doubles serve must land in the doubles service court, which is:
- in front of the doubles long service line (0.76 m inside the back boundary), and
- behind the short service line (1.98 m from the net), and
- inside the outer sideline.
So a doubles serve is “short and fat”: a long serve that lands in the back 0.76 m is out, but a serve that lands in the side tramline is in. The measurements are in our court dimensions guide.
Serving order in doubles
This is the part that causes arguments, so follow these rules in order.
- The first serve of each game comes from the right service court, because the score is 0 (even).
- The serving side’s score decides the court. Even score: serve from the right. Odd score: serve from the left.
- If the serving side wins the rally, they score a point, and the same player serves again, swapping to the other service court with their partner.
- If the receiving side wins the rally, they score a point and become the serving side. Nobody changes courts. The player who is now standing in the correct court for their side’s new score is the server.
- Only the receiver may return the serve. The receiver is the player standing diagonally opposite the server. If the receiver’s partner hits the serve, or the serve hits them, the serving side wins the point.
In short: players only switch sides when they win a point on their own serve.
A worked example
Team A is Amy and Alex. Team B is Ben and Bella. Team A wins the toss and serves first.
| Score (A-B) | What happened | Who serves next, from where |
|---|---|---|
| 0-0 | Start of game | Amy serves from the right to Ben (diagonal) |
| 1-0 | Team A won the rally on Amy’s serve | Amy and Alex swap courts. Amy serves again, from the left (score 1, odd) to Bella |
| 1-1 | Team B won the rally | B scores 1 (odd). Nobody moves. Whoever of Ben and Bella is in the left court serves: Bella |
| 1-2 | Team B won on Bella’s serve | Ben and Bella swap courts. Bella serves again, from the right (score 2, even) |
| 2-2 | Team A won the rally | A’s score is 2 (even). Nobody moves. The Team A player in the right court serves: Alex |
If you lose track of who should be serving, remember two things: only the serving side ever swaps courts, and only after winning a point on its own serve. When the serve changes hands, nobody moves, and the server is simply the player standing in the right court (even score) or left court (odd score) for their side.
Rally rules in doubles
After the serve has been returned:
- Either partner may hit the shuttle, but each side still gets only one hit before it goes back over the net. You cannot pass to your partner.
- The shuttle may land anywhere inside the outer sidelines and back boundary.
- Partners hitting the shuttle one after the other, or the same player hitting it twice, is a fault.
- All other faults (touching the net, reaching over, the shuttle touching your body) apply exactly as in singles. See faults in badminton.
Scoring in doubles
Scoring is identical to singles: rally point scoring to 21, win by 2, cap at 30, best of 3 games. There is no second serve. The winner of a game serves first in the next game, and either player of that side may serve first. Full details in our scoring guide.
Positioning: how doubles is actually played
The rules do not tell you where to stand during rallies, but good doubles pairs move between two shapes:
- Attack: front and back. When your side is hitting down (smashing or dropping), one player covers the back and the other covers the net, ready to pounce on weak replies.
- Defence: side by side. When your side has to lift the shuttle, both players move to the middle of their halves, side by side, ready to block smashes.
Moving smoothly between the two, and calling “mine” or “yours” on shots down the middle, wins more doubles matches than raw power. On the serve, most doubles players use a backhand low serve that just clears the tape. See types of serve.
Mixed doubles
Mixed doubles uses exactly the same rules. Tactically, many pairs have the woman play more at the net and the man more at the back, but that is a strategy, not a rule, and modern mixed pairs rotate far more than they used to.
Doubles rules FAQ
Can either player serve first in doubles?
Yes. At the start of each game, the serving side chooses which player serves first, and the receiving side chooses who receives first.
Is the back tramline in or out in doubles?
Out for the serve, in for the rest of the rally.
Are the side tramlines in or out in doubles?
In, for both the serve and the rally.
Do partners have to alternate hitting the shuttle?
No. Either partner may take any shot during a rally, as long as the side hits the shuttle only once before it crosses the net.
What if the wrong player serves?
If a service court error is discovered, the mistake is corrected and the score stands. In casual play, simply put the right player back in the right court and carry on.
For the complete rules, see rules of badminton, or compare with singles rules.
