Free Badminton Scoreboard App
Track Points, Games & the 30-Point Cap in Real-Time — No Clock, Pure Rally Scoring
Last updated: April 6, 2026
JudgeMate's Free Scoreboard supports badminton with full rule enforcement built in. Create a board in one tap, track points with +/- buttons, and the system handles game management automatically: games to 21 with 2-point advantage, the critical 30-point cap at 29-29, and best-of-3 match completion. Share a live link or QR code with spectators — they follow every point in real-time on any device. No account, no app download, completely free.
Step 1 — Create a Badminton Scoreboard
Creating a badminton scoreboard takes about 5 seconds:
- Go to the Free Scoreboard page on JudgeMate.
- Select Badminton from the available sports.
- Tap "Create Scoreboard".
The system instantly generates two links:
- An admin link (with a secret token) — this is your control panel. Bookmark it.
- A spectator link (no token) — this is what fans and players see.
Important: The admin link is the only way to control the board. If you lose it, you cannot regain access. Save it to your bookmarks or send it to yourself before the match starts.
No account registration is needed. No app download. The scoreboard works entirely in the browser on any device — phone, tablet, laptop, or Smart TV.
Step 2 — Match Setup
After creating the board, you'll see the Setup Screen where you configure the match before going live:
Player/Team Names:
- Type up to 20 characters per side.
- Default names are HOME and GUEST — change them to the actual player names (for singles: 'Lin Dan' vs 'Lee CW'; for doubles: 'Kim/Lee' vs 'Goh/Tan').
Team Colors:
- Pick from 12 preset colors: red, orange, amber, lime, green, teal, cyan, blue, purple, pink, gray, white.
- Colors appear on the spectator screen as player identifiers.
Start the Match:
- Tap "Start Game" when both players are ready.
- While in setup, spectators see a waiting screen: "Game Starting Soon — Waiting for the host to start..."
- Once you tap Start, the board goes LIVE and spectators see the score in real-time.
You can take your time in setup — there is no time limit. The match only begins when you tap Start.
Step 3 — Score Controls
The score area is split into two zones:
- Left half — Player/Team 1 (Home)
- Right half — Player/Team 2 (Guest)
Each side has:
- A large "+" button to add 1 point.
- A smaller "−" button to subtract 1 point (for corrections).
Key behaviors:
- The score never drops below 0 — tapping minus at 0 does nothing.
- Every tap updates the spectator screen instantly — there is no delay.
- Points are tracked per game. When a game ends and a new one begins, both scores reset to 0.
Badminton uses simple +1 scoring because every rally is worth exactly 1 point — no multi-point plays like basketball.
Tip for fast-paced rallies: The buttons have generous tap targets and respond immediately. Badminton rallies can be extremely fast, but the scoreboard keeps up — just tap after each rally ends.
No Clock — Badminton's Clean Interface
Badminton has no game clock — games end based on points, not time. JudgeMate's badminton mode removes all clock controls entirely:
- The clock controls section is completely hidden in the admin panel — no START/PAUSE buttons, no time adjustment.
- The spectator view shows only the score, game count, and serve indicator — no time display.
- There is nothing to start, pause, or manage time-wise.
This makes badminton one of the simplest sports to manage in JudgeMate. If you've never used a digital scoreboard before, badminton is an excellent starting point — just add points and the system handles everything else.
Game Management — The 30-Point Cap in Action
JudgeMate's badminton scoreboard handles game transitions intelligently, including the critical 30-point cap rule:
Standard game-end detection: When a player reaches 21 points with a 2-point advantage, a pulsing "End Game" button appears automatically. Examples: 21-19, 21-15, 21-8.
The 2-point advantage phase (20-20 through 28-all): If the score is tied at 20-20, the game continues. The button only appears when the 2-point advantage is achieved: 22-20, 23-21, 24-22, etc. At 21-20, the button does not appear because the advantage requirement is not met.
The 30-point cap (29-29): This is badminton's unique rule and JudgeMate handles it automatically. If the score reaches 29-29, the system knows that the very next point ends the game — the 2-point advantage is no longer required. When either side reaches 30, the "End Game" button appears immediately (the score will be 30-29).
What happens when you tap "End Game":
- The game score is recorded in the history (e.g., Game 1: 21-18).
- Both scores reset to 0-0.
- The game counter advances to the next game.
- The serve indicator behavior follows standard badminton rules.
- If it is now game 3, the display shows the deciding game.
Game History Display: Completed games appear as a running log visible to both admin and spectators:
- Game 1: 21-18
- Game 2: 19-21
- Game 3: (in progress)
Automatic match end: The match ends automatically when either player wins 2 games (best of 3). The scoreboard status changes to ENDED and the score freezes for all spectators.
Serve Indicator
A yellow dot on the scoreboard shows which player is currently serving. This is visible to both the admin and all spectators.
How to use it:
- Tap the serve indicator to switch it between players manually.
- Use it whenever the serve changes hands after a rally loss.
Why track the serve in badminton? In badminton, the serve is especially important because:
- In singles, the server's score (even/odd) determines which side of the court they serve from.
- In doubles, the serving side's score determines which player serves and from which court.
- Spectators watching remotely benefit from seeing which player is serving.
JudgeMate tracks the serve indicator as a simple toggle — the detailed service court positioning (left/right based on score) is managed by the players on court.
Sharing with Spectators & Font Size Control
Sharing the live score: Tap the "Share" button in the top bar to open the share modal:
- QR Code — spectators scan it with their phone camera to open the live scoreboard.
- Link — copy and send via any messenger (WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS, email).
- Native share — use your phone's built-in share sheet (if supported by your device).
Anyone with the link can follow the match. No login, no app download — just open it in a web browser. Works on phones, tablets, laptops, Smart TVs, and projectors.
Font size remote control: As the admin, you control the text size on all spectator screens:
- A− / A+ buttons adjust the font scale.
- Range: 50% to 300% of the default size.
- Ideal for venues where the scoreboard is displayed on a large screen, projector, or jumbotron — scale up so everyone in the hall can read the score.
Spectators can also adjust their own local font size (range: 70%-160%) by tapping their screen, but the admin's global setting takes priority.
Ending the Match & Post-Game Options
Automatic ending: The match ends automatically when a player wins 2 games. After the final game's "End Game" button is tapped, the board transitions to the ENDED state.
Manual ending: You can also end the match at any time by tapping "End Game" in the top bar. A confirmation dialog appears: "End game? This will freeze the score for all spectators." Tap "Yes, End Game" to confirm.
What happens after the match ends:
- The score is permanently frozen — no one can modify it.
- Spectators see the final score with an "ENDED" label.
- The admin panel shows a match summary with all game scores (e.g., Game 1: 21-18, Game 2: 19-21, Game 3: 21-16).
Post-game actions:
- "New Game — Same Teams" — creates a new scoreboard with the same player names and colors. One tap, instant rematch. Perfect for tournaments or training sessions.
- "New Game — Change Sport" — takes you back to the sport selection screen.
- "Share Final Results" — opens the share modal so you can send the final score to fans, players, or tournament organizers.
How long does the board last? Completed scoreboards remain accessible for up to one week. After that, the board expires. Save or screenshot the final results if you need a permanent record.
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