For the first time there was a combination of group play and knockout stages in the Olympic badminton tournament, following its introduction at the
2010 Youth Summer Olympics in Singapore. All matches were the best of three games, with each game won by the first player to reach 21 points. If the score reached 20–20, the winner was the first player to lead by two points. If the score reached 29–29, the player who won the next point won the match. The draw for the groups was held on 23 July 2012. ==Qualification==