Aim of the Game

The object of the game is to hit the shuttlecock back and forth over a net without permitting it to hit the floor in bounds on your side of the net.

General Rules

1. A player may not touch the net with a racket or body during play.
2. A shuttlecock may not come to rest or be carried on the racket.
3. A shuttlecock may hit the net on its way across during play and the rally continues.
4. A term of service is called an inning.
5. A player may not reach over the net to hit the shuttlecock.
6. A loss of serve is called a side out.

Serving

1. A coin toss or spin of the racket determines who will serve first.
2. The serve must travel diagonally (cross court) to be good.
3. A serve that touches the net and lands in the proper court is called a let serve and is played again,
otherwise, only one serve is permitted to each court until a side out occurs. A serve that is totally missed may be tried again.
4. The racket must make contact with the shuttlecock below the waist on a serve.
5. The server and receiver shall stand within their respective service courts until the serve is made.
6. Points may only be scored when serving.
7. All lines are considered in bounds.
8. In singles, when the server's score is an even number, the serve is taken from the right side. When the server's score is an odd number, it is taken from the left. (Serving in a doubles game is different)

Scoring

1.Spin your racket before the first game to determine who will serve first.
2.Score a point only when you are serving.
3.Change service when the receiving side wins the serve.
4.Win a game by being the first to score 15 points.
5. Choose to "set" the game, or not to, if the score reaches 13 to 13 or 14 to 14, and you were the first one to reach 13 or 14.
6.Set a 13-13 game to play five more points. Set a 14-14 game to play three more points.
7.Choose not to "set" the game and the first player to get 15 points wins.
8.Serve first in the next game if you won the previous one.
9.Change sides between games. In the third game, switch when one team reaches eight points.
10.Play best of two out of three games to determine a match.

Sportsmanship

If you are in doubt whether a shuttlecock that lands on your side of the court is in or out you should call give the point to your opponent.
Call out the score of the game before every service, making sure to announce the server's score first.
At the end of the game shake hands with your opponent.