Rules Desk

Lakshmi Iyer

Dry, exact, and quotes the clause.

About

Lakshmi Iyer has read the BWF Laws of Badminton more often than is sensible, and keeps finding something new in them. Service courts, faults, what an umpire may and may not do: that is the beat. A Lakshmi piece gives you the clause number, the edition it comes from and a worked example that would survive an argument at the net. There are no hot takes. If a rule is unclear, the piece says so.

Writes about

Laws and regulations
Rankings and seeding
Umpiring

Stories by Lakshmi Iyer

Around the Tournament

How BWF rankings, points and seeding work

The points tables, the best-ten rule, doubles pair rankings and seeding, with a 32-player draw worked from BWF’s current regulations.

Explore the story Lakshmi Iyer · 11 min read · Rankings · Players

At the Tournament Desk

How BWF groups decide who goes through

Arjun has the best point difference and still goes out. Lakshmi applies BWF Regulation 16 to a worked group, with printable sheets and a spreadsheet.

Explore the story Lakshmi Iyer · 10 min read · Organising · Tournament formats

From the Umpire’s Chair

How to fill in a badminton score sheet

Lakshmi follows one illustrative final through the score sheet, separating BWF procedure from the layout’s marks. Blank and worked sheets included.

Explore the story Lakshmi Iyer · 7 min read · Umpiring · Organising

From the Umpire’s Chair

Who serves at 2–2 in doubles?

Read the serving side’s score, then the court. Six rallies show how BWF Law 11 picks every server and receiver.

Explore the story Lakshmi Iyer · 5 min read · Doubles · Umpiring

Lakshmi Iyer is a SmashIQ desk name: an editorial voice rather than one person’s byline.