In badminton, players use a racket to hit a shuttlecock over a net. A match can be played in singles (one player per side) or doubles (two players per side). The game starts with a serve, and points are scored when the opponent fails to return the shuttlecock within the court boundaries. Players must serve from below the waist and hit the shuttlecock diagonally into the opponent's service box. The first player or team to reach 21 points wins a game, and matches are typically played in the best of three games. Players must also follow specific rules regarding faults and lets.