How Badminton Scoring
Works.
A complete guide to badminton scoring - rally points, games to 21, the cap at 30, and serve courts. Everything you need to keep score correctly.
Rally-Point Scoring
Every rally in badminton is worth a point to whoever wins it, no matter who served. The winner of the rally also serves next.
This has been the rule since the Badminton World Federation (BWF) switched to rally-point scoring in 2006, replacing the older system where only the server could score. It made matches shorter and more predictable to schedule.
Games to 21
First to 21 points wins the game - but you must win by 2 clear points. If the score reaches 20-20, play continues until one side leads by 2.
So a game can finish 21-19, or run on to 23-21, 24-22, and so on if the players stay close.
There is a limit to how long this can go on for - see the cap rule below.
The Cap at 30
If the score reaches 29-29, the win-by-2 requirement is suspended. Whoever scores the next point wins the game outright, 30-29 - no 2-point lead needed.
This guarantees every game ends by 30 points. We cover this rule in full detail in a separate post, linked below.
Match Format
Official badminton matches are always best of 3 games - first to win 2 games wins the match. There is no best-of-5 format in badminton.
For faster casual games, Scorepion also supports a shorter format: first to 11 points, win by 2, capped at 13.
Serve Courts
The server serves from the right service court when their score is even, and the left service court when their score is odd. This applies in both singles and doubles.
Scorepion tracks the server automatically. A visual indicator always shows who is serving and from which side.
Never lose track of the score again.
Scorepion handles every rule in this guide automatically. Rally points, the cap at 30, serve courts - all tracked in real time from your Apple Watch or Wear OS watch.
