Badminton Rules
This rules sheet is not meant to be all-inclusive; rather it is a summary of the more common rules, policies, and procedures used by the Intramural Sports Program. Important policy information can be found in the Intramural Sports Handbook. All team managers and players are responsible for reading this document and understanding the rules, policies, and procedures prior to participating in this activity.
General/Eligibility - See the Intramural Sports Handbook for complete listing of eligibility.
Intramural Team Participation - Individuals may only play on one team in the badminton league.
Identification - All players MUST present a UVM Cat Card to the IMS Supervisor prior to each game. Players who do not have their Cat Card will be subject to the terms of the Campus Recreation ID Policy.
Communication with IMS Staff - Team managers are the only individuals permitted to speak with officials regarding substitutions, calls or questions. If another player attempts to dispute, a warning may be issued. Subsequently, an un-sportsmanlike conduct penalty may be called followed by a possible ejection.
Court & Equipment
- Court Dimension: 44 ft x 22 ft (doubles)
- Net Height: 5ft 1in on the sides / 5ft on the center of court
Rally - A rally is won when a shuttle is hit over the net and onto the floor of the opponent's court. A rally is lost if the shuttle is hit into the net, or over the net but outside of the opponent's court. A rally is also lost if the shuttle touches the player's clothing or body, or if it is hit before it crosses over the net.
Serving - The service courts are slightly different for singles and doubles. A shuttle on the line is "in". The server and receiver stand in the diagonally opposite service courts (always right hand at the start of the game) but therefore players may move anywhere on their side of the net. The server must obey laws designed to force underhand delivery of the serve, and the receiver must stand still until the service is struck.
Scoring - Teams will play one match to 15 win by 2. The game is capped at 17. Every match is scheduled to be 15 minutes in length, at the end of the game they should move on to play their next opponent. Teams play 3 matches per evening.
Scoring format - If the serving side wins a rally, it scores a point, and serves again but from the alternate service court. If the receiving side wins the rally, the score remains unchanged and the service passes to the next player in turn. In singles, this is the opponent: in double it's either the partner or, if both players have just had a turn of serving, one of the opponents.
