Badminton · Laws of Badminton
Law 12: Service Court Errors
1 parts · 1 tests · 10 facts · updated 29 October 2026 · markdown
Law 12 deals with service court errors, the mistakes that happen when doubles positions or the order of serving go wrong. A service court error is serving or receiving out of turn, or serving or receiving from the wrong service court. Law 12.1 defines the error, and Law 12.2 says when it is put right and what becomes of the score.
The correction does not interrupt a rally. The error is corrected when the shuttle is not in play, so the rally in progress is finished first. Once the shuttle is out of play, the officials restore the correct server and service court for the score, using the same rule that governs every turn of serving: each one is delivered from the court that matches the serving side's score. For example, a pair with 5 points serves from the left court, so a service from the right would be an error to correct after the rally.
The second half of Law 12.2 matters just as much: when the error is corrected, the existing score stands. Law 12 is also one of the two exceptions to the doubles rule that no player receives two consecutive services.
The facts below cover what counts as a service court error, the moment it is corrected, and why the score is left as it stands.
12.121Service Court Errors
What a service court error is, when it is corrected and what happens to the score.
Test 1Service court errors: what they are and how they are put rightTake a test
Serving or receiving out of turn, or from the wrong court, is a service court error.
Source: BWF Laws 2027, Law 12.1.2 · recall
Law 12.1.1 names out-of-turn serving and receiving.
Source: BWF Laws 2027, Law 12.1.1 · recall
The error is corrected when the shuttle is not in play.
Source: BWF Laws 2027, Law 12.2 · applied
When the error is corrected, the existing score stands.
Source: BWF Laws 2027, Law 12.2 · applied
Receiving from the wrong service court is a service court error.
Source: BWF Laws 2027, Law 12.1.2 · applied
Law 12.2 corrects the error and leaves the score as it is.
Source: BWF Laws 2027, Law 12.2 · applied
Correcting the error restores the right server and service court for the score.
Source: BWF Laws 2027, Law 12.2, 11.1.6 · applied
The error waits for the shuttle to be out of play and the score is not changed.
Source: BWF Laws 2027, Law 12.2 · applied
Law 12.1 defines the error, 12.2 says when it is corrected and that the score stands.
Source: BWF Laws 2027, Law 12.1, 12.2 · applied
With 5 points A-B serve from the left; the error is put right once the shuttle is not in play and the score stands.
Source: BWF Laws 2027, Law 12.1.2, 12.2 · applied
Questions people ask
- What is a service court error in badminton?
- It is serving or receiving out of turn, or serving or receiving from the wrong service court.
- When is a service court error corrected?
- When the shuttle is not in play. The rally in progress is not stopped to put it right.
- Does the score change after a service court error?
- No. When the error is corrected, the existing score stands.
- How is the right service court found after an error?
- The correction restores the server and service court that match the serving side's score, so an odd score means the left court and an even score the right.
- Is receiving from the wrong court treated the same as serving from it?
- Yes. Receiving from the wrong service court is a service court error, just like serving from it or serving or receiving out of turn.
Sources
BWF Laws of Badminton, V6.0 in force 4 January 2027, Law 12 (paraphrased in original wording; original questions authored from the Laws, not reproduced)
- BWF Laws 2027, Law 12.24
- BWF Laws 2027, Law 12.1.22
- BWF Laws 2027, Law 12.1.11
- BWF Laws 2027, Law 12.2, 11.1.61
- BWF Laws 2027, Law 12.1, 12.21
- BWF Laws 2027, Law 12.1.2, 12.21