How many points is a game of badminton?

Under the current rules, a game is played to 21 points with a two-point winning margin, and the first side to 30 wins at 29-all. From January 4, 2027, BWF events switch to 15-point games, won by 2 and capped at 21.

What happens at 20-20 in badminton?

In a 21-point game, play continues until one side leads by 2, such as 22-20. If it reaches 29-29, the next point wins 30-29. In the new 15-point system, 20-20 is the cap, and the next point wins 21-20.

Do you have to be serving to win a point in badminton?

No. Badminton uses rally scoring, so the side that wins a rally scores a point whether it served or not. The winner of the rally also serves the next one.

Which side do you serve from in badminton?

Serve from the right service court when the serving side's score is even, including 0, and from the left when it is odd. This applies to singles and doubles.

When do you change ends in badminton?

Players change ends after each game, and in a deciding third game when the leading side reaches 11 points. Under the 15-point system, the change in the deciding game happens at 8.

Is the 15-point scoring system used in club and casual games?

BWF adopts it for its events from January 4, 2027, and national associations are following. Casual games can use either format, so agree on one before you start.

Guide

Badminton Scoring Rules Explained, Including the New 15-Point System

How badminton scoring works in singles and doubles, who serves from which court, and what changes when the 15-point system replaces 21 points in January 2027.

Updated October 21, 2026 3 min read

Tired of arguing about the score mid-rally? Badminton Scoreboard is free to download.

Short answer

Badminton uses rally scoring: every rally wins a point, whoever served. A game goes to 21 points, you must win by 2, and 30 points wins outright at 29-all. A match is best of three games. From January 4, 2027, BWF switches to 15-point games, still won by 2 and capped at 21.

Badminton scoring is simple until it isn’t. Counting to 21 is easy. Remembering whether it’s 14-12 or 12-14, and who should be serving from which court in doubles, is where most games stop for an argument.

This guide covers the official rules from the BWF Laws of Badminton, the new 15-point system that starts in January 2027, and the serving rules most players get wrong.

How badminton scoring works

Rally scoring. Every rally wins a point, whichever side served. The rally winner serves next.
Games to 21. The first side to 21 points wins the game.
Win by 2. At 20-all, a side needs a two-point lead, such as 22-20.
Cap at 30. At 29-all, the next point wins the game 30-29.
Best of three. The first side to win two games wins the match.
Intervals. Players get up to 60 seconds when the leading score reaches 11, and up to 2 minutes between games.
Changing ends. Players switch ends after each game, and in the third game when the leader reaches 11.
Serving the next game. The winner of a game serves first in the next one.

The new 15-point system from 2027

BWF members voted on April 25, 2026 to replace 21-point games with a 3x15 format. It takes effect on January 4, 2027 (BWF). Here is what changes:

Rule	21-point system	15-point system (from 2027)
Points to win a game	21	15
Win by 2 starts at	20-all	14-all
Cap	30 (at 29-all)	21 (at 20-all)
Mid-game interval	Leader reaches 11	Leader reaches 8
Change ends in the third game	Leader reaches 11	Leader reaches 8
Games per match	Best of 3	Best of 3
Interval between games	2 minutes	2 minutes

Rally scoring and the serving rules stay the same.

Who serves, and from where: singles

The server’s score decides the service court:

Even score (0, 2, 4…): serve from the right service court.
Odd score (1, 3, 5…): serve from the left service court.

The receiver stands in the diagonally opposite court. If the receiver wins the rally, they score a point and serve next, from the court that matches their new score.

Who serves, and from where: doubles

Doubles is where most scoring arguments start. Three rules settle it:

The serving side’s score sets the court. Even score, serve from the right. Odd score, serve from the left.
When the serving side wins a rally, the same player serves again, and the two partners swap service courts.
When the receiving side wins a rally, they gain the serve, and no one moves. The new server is whichever partner is already standing in the court that matches their side’s score.

A quick example with Anna and Ben against Clara and Dan:

0-0. Anna serves from the right.
Anna and Ben win the rally: 1-0. Anna serves again. She and Ben swap, so she now serves from the left.
Clara and Dan win the rally: 1-1. They gain the serve. Their score is odd, so the server is whichever of them is standing in the left court. Nobody switches.
Clara and Dan win again: 1-2. The same server continues, the partners swap, and the serve now comes from the right.

How to keep score without arguing

Call the score before every serve, the server’s score first: “14-12” means the server has 14.
Agree on the format before you start: 21 or 15 points, and best of one or three games.
Settle a disputed rally first, then correct the score from the last one everyone agrees on.

If you’d rather not keep it all in your head, a scoring app helps. We make Badminton Scoreboard for exactly this: you tap the side that won each rally, and it keeps the score and shows who serves next, from which court. In doubles it draws the court with both pairs, which settles the rotation question above without anyone stopping to think. It supports both the 21-point and the new 15-point format, and you can score from Apple Watch instead of holding your phone.