Scoring rulesUpdated 2026-06-303 min read
Badminton scoring: singles, doubles, and the 21-point system
A practical guide to rally scoring, deuce, the 30-point cap, and service courts.
In badminton, the winner of each rally scores one point, regardless of who served. Most matches are best of three games.
Winning a game
- The first side to reach 21 points wins if it leads by at least two.
- At 20–20, play continues until one side leads by two.
- At 29–29, the side that scores the 30th point wins the game.
Singles and doubles service courts
Check the server’s score: serve from the right court when it is even and from the left when it is odd. In doubles, a serving side that wins a rally keeps the serve and its players switch service courts. If the receiving side wins, it scores and serves next.
- Record who won the rally.
- Identify the next server.
- Check whether the server’s score is even or odd.
- Serve from the right for even scores and the left for odd scores.
Start scoring with iScoreboard
Set up a match, keep score, and show the result on another screen.
Open the scoreboardFrequently asked questions
What happens at 20–20?
Keep playing until one side leads by two points. At 29–29, the next point wins.
Does every rally count as a point?
Yes. The side that wins a rally scores one point, even when it did not serve.