Bad start with faulty game plan (9)
I believe the answer is:
stratagem
'plan' is the definition.
(stratagem is a kind of plan)
'bad start with faulty game' is the wordplay.
'bad' indicates an anagram.
'with' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'faulty' is an anagram indicator.
'start' anagrammed gives 'strat'.
'game' is an anagram of 'agem'.
'strat'+'agem'='STRATAGEM'
(Other definitions for stratagem that I've seen before include "Cunning manoeuvre" , "Clever scheme" , "A cunning plan or scheme" , "Ploy - start game (anag)" , "Ruse" .)