Guide · Last checked October 25, 2026 · By Ashish Dawar
Badminton serve rules, explained.
A legal badminton serve is hit with the whole shuttle below 1.15 metres from the floor, base first, in one continuous forward swing, with both feet still and inside your service court. It must travel upward, over the net, into the service court diagonally opposite. Everything here comes from Law 9 (Service) and related laws in the BWF Laws of Badminton, in force since April 26, 2025. Law numbers are given so you can check them.
The legal serve checklist
| Rule | What it means | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Right place | Server and receiver stand in diagonally opposite service courts, not touching their lines. | 9.1.3 |
| Feet still | Part of both feet stays on the floor, not moving, until the shuttle is hit. | 9.1.4 |
| No stalling | No undue delay once both players are ready. Pausing after the backswing counts. | 9.1.1–9.1.2 |
| Clean release | Drop the shuttle without spin and hit the base (cork) first. | 9.1.5 |
| Under 1.15 m | The whole shuttle is below 1.15 m from the floor at contact. | 9.1.6 |
| One forward swing | Once the racket head starts forward, it keeps moving forward until contact. | 9.1.7, 9.2 |
| Upward and in | The shuttle rises off the racket, clears the net and lands in the receiver’s service court. | 9.1 |
| Don’t miss | Swinging and missing is a fault. | 9.1.8 |
The 1.15 m rule, and what happened to “below the waist”
Law 9.1.6 sets one height for everyone: the whole shuttle below 1.15 m from the court surface when it is hit. The top of the net is 1.524 m at the centre (Law 1.10), so you contact the shuttle more than 37 cm below the tape.
This is the rule in the Laws of Badminton, which govern BWF-sanctioned play, and Badminton BC points players to the BWF Statutes. Many guides still teach the old rule: shuttle below the waist (the lowest rib), racket head pointing down. BWF now keeps that only as an Alternative Service Law (Statutes Section 4.1.4), which the Laws apply to Para badminton classes.
Recent changes. The no-spin release in Law 9.1.5 is now permanent: BWF banned the “spin serve” on an interim basis in 2023, and the wording is in the April 2025 Laws. BWF members also approved 3×15 scoring in April 2026. The new Laws, in force January 4, 2027, play games to 15 (capped at 21), but Law 9 and the service-court rules are word for word the same.
Service courts: which lines count
In each half, the short service line runs 1.98 m from the net and a centre line splits the area behind it into right and left service courts. The outer edges change with the game (Diagram A of the Laws):
| Edge | Singles | Doubles |
|---|---|---|
| Front | Short service line | Short service line |
| Side | Inner (singles) side line | Outer (doubles) side line |
| Back | Back boundary line | Long service line for doubles, about 0.76 m inside the back boundary |
| Shape | Long and narrow | Short and wide |
Lines are in (Laws 1.3 and 9.1). These limits apply only to the serve; once the rally starts, doubles uses the whole court, back strip included.
Who serves from which side
Look at the serving side’s score: 0 or even, serve from the right; odd, serve from the left.
Singles (Law 10). Win a rally on your serve and you score, then serve from the other court. Lose it and your opponent scores and serves from the court matching their score.
Doubles (Law 11). Partners switch courts only when they win a point on their own serve; the receiving pair never switches. Example: A and B play C and D. At 0–0, A serves from the right to C. A wins: 1–0, A moves left and serves to D. A then loses: 1–1. C and D have an odd score, so D, standing in their left court, serves. Wrong server or wrong court? That is a service court error: correct it when the shuttle is not in play and keep the score (Law 12).
Service faults and lets
A fault loses the rally (Law 7.3). On the serve it is a fault if any checklist rule is broken, the shuttle lands outside the receiver’s service court, it stays on top of the net or is caught in the net after crossing, or the receiver’s partner hits it (Laws 13.1–13.2). A serve that clips the tape and lands in the right court is good; badminton has no tennis-style net let.
A let replays the point with the same server (Law 14.3). It is a let if the server serves before the receiver is ready, if server and receiver are both faulted, or in “any unforeseen or accidental situation” (Law 14.2), such as a stray shuttle from the next court. With no umpire, players call it (Law 14.1). But if the receiver attempts a return, they were ready (Law 9.4).
Rules for the receiver
- Stand in the diagonally opposite service court without touching its lines (Law 9.1.3).
- Keep part of both feet on the floor, stationary, until the shuttle is hit (Law 9.1.4). Stepping in early is a fault.
- Don’t delay once the server is ready (Law 9.1.1).
- In doubles, partners may stand anywhere in their own court if they don’t block the opposing server’s or receiver’s view (Law 9.5).
Common club-level mistakes
- Serving too high. If you learned the waist rule, you may be hitting above 1.15 m without knowing it. Mark 1.15 m on a wall once and see where it sits on you.
- The hitch. A pause after the backswing or a double motion (Laws 9.1.2, 9.1.7).
- Moving feet. Lifting a foot off the floor or stepping into the serve.
- Toes on the line, for server or receiver.
- Wrong court in doubles, often after losing a rally. Even right, odd left.
- The long line. In doubles, a serve landing between the two back lines is out; in singles it is in.
- Spinning the shuttle on the drop (Law 9.1.5).
Serving at Shuttle Storm ’26
Our competition regulations follow the BWF Laws for service, including the 1.15 m rule, so play to the serve rules on this page. Matches are one game to 21 through the quarter-finals, then best of three to 15; the even/odd rule works the same. Shuttle Storm ’26 is Saturday, November 21, 2026, at the UFV Athletic Centre North Gym in Abbotsford, with ten categories for ages 13 to 50+. Entries close Wednesday, November 18, at 11:59 pm. Register here, read the tournament FAQ, or see more guides: where to play in Abbotsford and Lower Mainland tournaments.
More rules guides: how to play badminton, with scoring and badminton doubles rules.
Frequently asked questions
How high can you serve in badminton?
The whole shuttle must be below 1.15 metres from the court surface when the server’s racket hits it (BWF Law 9.1.6). The height is the same for every player. The old “below the waist” rule is now only an alternative law, used in Para badminton.
Is it a fault if the serve hits the net in badminton?
Not by itself. A serve that clips the net and lands in the correct service court is good; there is no net-cord let. It is a fault if the shuttle fails to cross, stays on top of the net, or is caught in the net after passing over (BWF Laws 9.1 and 13.2).
Which side do you serve from in badminton?
Use the serving side’s own score. With 0 or an even score, serve from the right service court; with an odd score, serve from the left. This applies in singles and doubles (BWF Laws 10.1 and 11.1).
Is a badminton serve that lands on the line in?
Yes. Lines are part of the area they mark, so a serve landing on any line of the receiver’s service court is in (BWF Laws 1.3 and 9.1).
Source: BWF Laws of Badminton (2025 and 2027 versions) and Alternative Laws. Checked October 25, 2026.