Badminton · Guide
Badminton doubles explained
Doubles has one rule that confuses everyone, the serving order, and one idea that wins matches: attack front and back, defend side by side.
The serving order
- Serve court by score: the serving side serves from the right when its score is even and the left when it is odd.
- Win on your serve: you score, and the same player serves again, after the pair swaps courts.
- Win on their serve: you score and win the serve. Nobody swaps. Whoever of you is standing in the court that matches your new score serves.
- The receiver is always the opponent diagonally opposite the server.
The shortcut: players only ever change courts after winning a point on their own serve. If you lose track, work it out from the score: even score, the server is in the right court.
Our badminton scorer tracks who serves and who receives in doubles for you.
The service area
On the serve, doubles uses the wide court but the shorter length: the shuttle must land in front of the doubles long service line, 0.76 m in from the back. After that, the whole court is in. See court size and lines.
Formations
- Attack: front and back. When your side is hitting down, one player smashes from the back while the other hunts the reply at the net.
- Defence: side by side. When you have lifted and they are smashing, each player covers their half of the court.
- Rotating between the two, smoothly, is the core skill of doubles.
Mixed doubles
Traditionally the woman plays mostly at the front and the man at the back, though at the top level both players rotate. The serving rules are the same.
Quick answers
- Who serves in badminton doubles?
- The serving side serves from the right court when its score is even and the left when odd. When the serving side wins a point, the same player serves again from the other court. When the receiving side wins a point, they get the serve, from the court matching their new score.
- Do you swap sides in badminton doubles?
- Only the serving pair swaps courts, and only when they win a point on their own serve. The receiving pair never swaps.
- What is the attacking formation in badminton doubles?
- Front and back: one player at the net, the other at the back smashing. It is used when your side is hitting down.
- What is the defensive formation in badminton doubles?
- Side by side, each covering half the court, used when the opponents are smashing.