Doubles Made Clear: Who Serves and From Where

Short doubles games built to master the serving order and court changes under official scoring. Each pair has to get their positions right before every rally.

How to play

1. Explain with four students on court: even score serves from the right, odd from the left; only the serving pair switches courts when they win a point on their own serve (5 min).
2. Walk-through: the teacher says who wins each point and pairs reposition without playing (4 min).
3. Games to 11 with a positions card. Before serving, the server calls the score and their court out loud (10 min).
4. Rotate opponents for a second game, where a positioning mistake means replaying the point (4 min).
5. Go over the most common question (2 min).

Rules

• Serve passes to the opponents when the serving side loses the rally; there is no second server.
• The receiving pair does not switch courts.
• Always call both scores, the server's first.

Variations

Adaptations

• Visual impairment: service courts marked with bright, raised tape.
• Deaf or hard-of-hearing students: show the score with fingers or a small whiteboard.
• Students with memory difficulties: a picture card showing positions for even and odd scores.

Learning goals

• Apply the doubles serving order.
• Communicate with a partner to set up.
• Follow official scoring.

Equipment for a class of 25

• badminton rackets: 28
• shuttlecocks: 15
• badminton nets: 5
• cards: 10

Teacher tip

This is the question that stalls doubles games most, so invest time in the walk-through. Remember the doubles service court is short and wide, the singles one long and narrow.

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