Intramural Co-Ed Doubles Badminton

Tournament Rules

International Badminton Federation "Simplified Rules" will govern play.

General Eligibility

• All players must be currently enrolled PSU students, faculty, or staff. This means all players must be fully registered (meaning their semester bill is paid) when the entry form is submitted to the IM department.
• PSU alumni who have graduated within the past year AND are non-affiliate members of the fitness facility may also play.
• Valid Penn State ID cards and non-affiliate member cards must be presented upon request.
• All players’ names, email addresses, phone numbers, and student ID numbers must appear on the entry form.
• No player may be substituted for another player.
• All participants must be familiar with badminton rules of play.

Team Attire

• Only regulation court shoes are permitted on the court.
• Please do not wear wet shoes of any kind on the gym floor before, during, or after contests.
• No jewelry or hats may be worn during games
• No camisoles or sports bras may be worn as "outerwear."

Tournament Format

• Tournament length will be determined by number of participants.
• Tournament games will be played during the usual intramural time slot of 9:00-11:00 PM. Players must report to the score table 10 minutes before their match.
• A scorecard must be obtained at the score table before beginning play. The completed scorecard must be returned to the score table immediately after the match. Players must find out when their next match is before leaving the score table area.
• Brackets, court location, and game times will be recorded on a white board behind the score table. Only the IM staff is permitted to record scores on the whiteboard.
• Both partners of each team must be present to play. THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS. The team lacking both partners will have to forfeit.
• Determining what team serves first will be accomplished by a rally. The team that does not commit the fault during the rally will serve first for the first game of the match and the third game of the match. The opposing team will serve the second game of the match.
• Games will be played to 15 points. Whoever reaches 15 points first is the winner.
• Match scoring will be used: Best 2 out of 3 games will decide the winner of the match.
• All players are responsible for setting up and putting away the badminton nets. Anyone not demonstrating proper care of the equipment will be ejected from the tournament.
• At the end of each game, teams are to switch sides of the court. If a third game is necessary, teams must again switch sides of the court when either side first reaches 8 points in a game to 15 points (See rule #7 under Scoring).

Simplified Badminton Rules

• Points may be scored only by the serving side
• Serving (see last page for doubles rotation example)
  1. Serve as soon as the opponent is ready to receive the serve
  2. The serve must be hit diagonally to/from the proper service court
  3. The serve must be conducted with a continuous forward stroke
  4. The shuttle must be entirely below the waist when it is contacted
  5. The entire racket head must be below the racket hand at contact
  6. Both feet must stay in contact with the floor during the serve
  7. The server must stand inside (not on) the service court boundary lines
  8. The initial serve must be executed from the right-hand court
     • The serving team alternates serving courts after each point is scored. However, the receiving team members must remain in their same service courts even though their opponents are switching service courts
     • Only the proper player may return a serve without forfeiting the point
  9. If the server misses the shuttle when attempting to serve, he/she may re-stroke until contact is made
     • The server will continue serving after each rally won, rotating between left and right service courts
     • The server must announce the full score prior to each serve
• Scoring
  1. All games are played to 15 points
  2. Only the serving side is able to score
  3. The boundary lines are considered "good"
  4. A serve or shot which touches the net is considered good as long as it falls within the proper boundaries of the opposite court
  5. A match consists of the best 2 out of 3 games
  6. Teams are to switch sides of the court after each game
  7. If a third game is necessary, teams must again switch sides of the court when either side first reaches 8 points in a game to 15 points
• Faults
  1. If on the serve, the shuttle is contacted above the server’s waist
  2. If during the serve, the feet of the server and/or receiver are not within the boundaries of their respective service courts
  3. If in serving, the shuttle lands outside the boundaries of the service court (i.e., into the one not diagonally opposite to the server).
  4. If either in service or in play, the shuttle falls outside the proper boundaries of the court, or passes through or under the net, or fails to pass the net, or touches the ceiling, or the person or clothing of a player
  5. If the shuttle in play be struck before it crosses to the striker’s side of the net. The striker may, however, follow the shuttle over the net with the racket in the course of the stroke
  6. If when the shuttle is in play, a player touches the net or its supports with his/her racket, person, or clothing
  7. If the shuttle is held on the racket while struck (i.e., be caught, slung, carried)
  8. It is NOT a fault if the frame, shaft, or handle of the racket hits the shuttle, or if the base and the feathers of the shuttle are struck simultaneously
  9. If when the shuttle is in play, it is hit 2 or more times on a return
• Officiating
  • Participants are responsible for officiating their own matches. Any call that cannot be agreed upon must be replayed
• EXAMPLE: Doubles rotation
  • Team AB is playing Team CD
  • Player A serves from the right hand service square diagonally to Player C
  • Player C faults so the serve goes back to Team AB
  • Player A and Player B must switch sides so that Player A will now serve from the left hand service court diagonally to Player D
  • Once Team AB loses the serve, Players A and B stay in the court squares that they were in when they lost the serve and Team CD now serves in the same fashion as AB had done
  • When the serve comes back to Team AB, whomever is in the right hand service square proceeds with the serve
  • Theoretically, it could be Player A again and Player B may never get a chance to serve at all during the game

Revised 09/10, jrs