Continuous play: intervals, delays, advice and leaving the court
When you may rest, when you may be advised, and what happens if you slow the game down, in plain words.
Why play must be continuous
A match is meant to be played without pauses, from the first serve to the last point. Resting longer than allowed would favour the player who is more tired, so the laws set short, fixed breaks and forbid other stoppages (Law 16, BWF Laws of Badminton, edition in force 26 April 2025).
The breaks you are allowed
- During a game: a break of up to 60 seconds when the leading score reaches 11 points.
- Between games: a break of up to 120 seconds between the first and second game, and between the second and third.
For a televised match, the referee may decide beforehand that these breaks are compulsory and of fixed length. Handicap matches follow a separate BWF text and are not covered here.
When play may be suspended
If something outside the players' control happens, the umpire may suspend play for as long as they judge necessary. The existing score stands and play resumes from that point. In special circumstances the referee can also instruct the umpire to suspend play.
Delays and advice
- Play must never be delayed so that a player can recover strength or breath, or receive advice. The umpire alone judges whether there is a delay.
- A player may receive advice only while the shuttle is not in play and before the players have taken position to serve and receive. In practice, that means the breaks and the moments between rallies, never during a rally.
- Nobody may leave the court during a match without the umpire's permission if it delays play, except during the breaks.
What a player must not do
The laws list four behaviours: deliberately delaying or suspending play; deliberately modifying or damaging the shuttle to change its speed or flight; behaving in an offensive or inappropriate manner; any other misconduct not covered elsewhere.
What the umpire does
For a breach of the break, delay, leaving-the-court or conduct rules, the umpire first issues a warning to the offending side. If that side was already warned, or if the offence is flagrant, the umpire calls a fault. After a fault of this kind, the umpire reports the side to the referee, who can disqualify it from the match.
Mistakes to avoid
- Taking a long towel or drink break between two rallies in the middle of a game.
- Walking off to fetch equipment without asking.
- Asking for advice while the next serve is about to start.
- Pinching or bending feathers to slow a shuttle that feels too fast.
General practice advice: play within your limits and stop if something hurts.