Badminton doubles serving rules
Doubles scoring is the same as singles, but working out who serves, from which side, and who receives trips up a lot of players. These four rules cover every situation.
The four rules
- Serve from the right court when your side's score is even, and the left when it is odd.
- If your side wins a rally while serving, the same player serves again and the two of you swap sides.
- If the receiving side wins the rally, they score and take the serve, but nobody moves.
- Only the player diagonally opposite the server may return the serve.
Which court do you serve from?
The serving side's own score decides it. On an even score (0, 2, 4…) the serve is taken from the right service court; on an odd score (1, 3, 5…) from the left. At the start of a game the score is 0, so the first serve is always from the right.
Which partner serves?
Each side has only one serve at a time: there is no "second server" in modern doubles. When the serve comes to your side, it is taken by whichever of you is standing in the correct court for your score. Partners only change courts when their side wins a rally while serving.
Who receives?
The receiver is the player in the service court diagonally opposite the server. The receiving side does not change courts when the opponents score, so the same player keeps receiving from the same court until their own side wins a point on serve.
Step-by-step example
Asha and Ravi play Meera and Kiran. Asha and Ravi serve first, with Asha in the right court. Meera starts in her side's right court, so she receives first.
| Rally won by | Score | Next serve | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| (start) | 0-0 | Asha, right court, to Meera | Score 0 is even, so serve from the right. |
| Asha & Ravi | 1-0 | Asha, left court, to Kiran | Serving side won: same server, partners swap. |
| Asha & Ravi | 2-0 | Asha, right court, to Meera | Won on serve again: swap back. |
| Meera & Kiran | 2-1 | Kiran, left court, to Ravi | Receivers won: serve changes sides, nobody moves. Their score 1 is odd, and Kiran is in their left court. |
| Meera & Kiran | 2-2 | Kiran, right court, to Asha | Won on serve: Kiran and Meera swap. |
| Asha & Ravi | 3-2 | Ravi, left court, to Meera | Receivers won: nobody moves. Their score 3 is odd, and Ravi is in their left court. |
The doubles service court
The doubles service court is short and wide. A serve must land between the short service line (1.98 m from the net) and the doubles long service line (0.76 m in front of the back boundary line), and may use the full width out to the outer side line. After the serve is returned, the whole court, including the back alley, is in play.
At the start of a new game
The side that won the previous game serves first, from the right court, and either player on each side may choose to serve or receive first.
Related rules
- Badminton scoring rules: games to 21, intervals and changing ends.
- What is deuce?: what happens at 20-all.
Let the app track it
In doubles mode, DeucePoint shows which player serves, from which court, and who receives after every point, so nobody has to argue about it.