Where Do You Stand When Serving in Badminton? Even & Odd Service Courts Explained

Serve from the right service court when the server's score is even (0, 2, 4 …) and from the left when it's odd (1, 3, 5 …); the receiver stands diagonally opposite. It's the server's own score that decides the side — not the opponent's.

The trick regulars use to never serve from the wrong side

Beginners track the rally; regulars track their own number. The whole system collapses to one habit: read your score — even means right, odd means left — and ignore everything the opponent is doing. At 0 you're on the right, because zero is even. Win a point and you slide one box across; lose it and you don't move at all, you just become a receiver where you already stand. The people who get muddled are almost always watching the other side's score, or trying to reconstruct the last rally, instead of reading their own total straight off the board.

The even/odd rule

• Even score → right service court.
• Odd score → left service court.
• The serve always goes diagonally to the matching court on the other side.
• Score 0–0 is even, so the first serve of every game is from the right.

Singles

You simply move between right (even) and left (odd) as your score changes, serving diagonally each time.

Doubles

Same even/odd rule, but only the serving pair swap courts, and only when they win a point on their serve (full detail in Who Serves Next in Badminton Doubles? Service Order and Rotation Rules Explained). Receivers don't move until they win the serve.

Example

You're serving at 8 (even) → from the right. You win the rally → score 9 (odd) → you now serve from the left. Win again → 10 (even) → back to the right.

FAQ

• Q: Which side do you serve from in badminton? Right court on an even score, left court on an odd score.
• Q: Is 0–0 even or odd? Even — so the first serve is from the right.
• Q: Whose score decides the service court? The server's score.
• Q: Where does the receiver stand? Diagonally opposite the server, in the matching service court.
• Q: Does this apply to both singles and doubles? Yes — the even/odd rule is the same; doubles adds partner positioning. See the complete guide to legal serving rules for court position and contact requirements.