In badminton doubles, the serve goes into a short, wide box: the outer sidelines, but not past the doubles long service line 0.76 m inside the back line. Once the serve is returned, the whole court is in. The serving side serves from the right when its score is even and the left when odd, and partners only swap sides when they win a point on their own serve.
Those three rules settle almost every doubles argument. The BWF Laws of Badminton put them in Law 11; here they are in plain English, with an interactive court and a rally-by-rally serving order you can step through.
Badminton doubles rules: court lines
| Where it lands | Doubles serve | Doubles rally |
|---|---|---|
| Side alley (between the singles and doubles sidelines) | In | In |
| Back alley (between the doubles long service line and the baseline) | Out (long) | In |
| Between the net and the short service line | Out (short) | In |
| On any boundary line | In | In |
So a doubles service court is 3.05 m wide and 3.96 m deep: short and wide. The singles box is the reverse, long and narrow. Tap the court and switch between serve and rally:
Far side at the top. Tap anywhere on the court.
Tap the court to call a landing.
The lime area is “in” for a doubles serve, served from the blue box. Try the tramlines and the back alley.
- In area
- 3.05 m × 3.96 m
- Your calls
- 0 in · 0 out
Badminton doubles rules: service
The serving rules (Law 11.1) all hang off one number: the serving side's score.
- Even score: the player in the right service court serves, to the opponent in their right court.
- Odd score: the player in the left service court serves, to the opponent in their left court.
- Only the receiver may return the serve. If their partner hits it, it's a fault.
- Once the serve is returned, anyone can hit the shuttle from anywhere on their side, one hit per side.
- No player may serve or receive out of turn, or receive two serves in a row in the same game.
The service action itself is identical to singles: below 1.15 m, feet still, base first. See serve rules.
Badminton doubles rules: serving order and rotation
What happens after each rally depends on who won it (Laws 11.3–11.5):
- The serving side wins the rally: it scores, the server and partner swap service courts, and the same player serves again, now from the other court.
- The receiving side wins the rally: it scores and gets the serve. Nobody moves. The new server is whichever of them is standing in the court that matches their score: right if even, left if odd.
Every rule about who serves in badminton doubles falls out of those two lines. Step through a game and watch it work:
A at the near end, B at the far end. Lime box: where the serve must land.
0–0
A1 serves from the right court → B1 receives
0–0. A1 serves first from the right court (even score) to B1, diagonally opposite.
For a full game with names, a score log and the receiver shown at every point, use the doubles serving order tool.
Arguments resolved
“We won the point, so we swap sides.”
Only if you were serving. When the receiving side wins a rally, it gets the serve but stays put. Partners swap service courts only after winning a point on their own serve (Law 11.1.5).
“It's my turn to serve, I haven't served yet.”
There's no turn-taking. Since rally scoring, each side has a single service turn: when you win the serve back, whoever is in the court matching your score serves, even if they served last time too.
“That serve was in, it landed in the back alley.”
Out. The doubles serve must land in front of the doubles long service line. Once the rally starts, the back alley is in.
“You served from the wrong side three points ago!”
A service court error (wrong server, wrong court, wrong receiver) is corrected once it's discovered and the shuttle is not in play. The score stands, and no points are replayed (Law 12).
“My partner was standing in front of me, so I couldn't see.”
During the serve, partners can stand anywhere in their own court as long as they don't block the opposing server's or receiver's view (Law 9.5). Deliberately screening the serve is not allowed.
Doubles scoring and match format
Doubles uses the same scoring as singles: rally scoring to 21, win by two, cap at 30, best of three, intervals at 11 and between games (15-point games from 4 January 2027). The scoring guide has every detail. For where to stand once the rally is on, see doubles strategy.
Frequently asked questions
Do you switch sides after every point in doubles?
No. Only the serving pair swaps service courts, and only when it wins a rally on its own serve. When the receivers win a rally, nobody moves.
Is the back alley in or out in doubles?
Out on the serve, in during the rally. A doubles serve must land in front of the doubles long service line, 0.76 m inside the baseline.
Are the side alleys in for doubles?
Yes, for both the serve and the rally. The outer sidelines are the doubles boundary.
Who serves first in doubles?
The side that wins the toss chooses to serve or receive (or an end). The pair decides which player serves first; at 0–0 they serve from the right court.
Can the receiver's partner return the serve?
No. Only the player the serve is aimed at may return it. If the partner hits it, it's a fault.
What happens if the wrong player serves in doubles?
It's a service court error. Correct it as soon as it's noticed while the shuttle is not in play; the score stands and no rally is replayed.