The badminton serve fault reference covers every BWF rule a serve must satisfy to be legal. Use the step-by-step checker below to validate any serve scenario, or scroll down for the complete rule breakdown.
Interactive Serve Legality Checker
Answer each question about the serve. The checker will tell you if it is legal or the specific fault.
BWF Serve Rules Quick Reference
Contact Requirements
- •Shuttle must be below server's waist at contact
- •Waist = lowest rib imaginary horizontal line
- •Entire racket head must be below the hand
- •Shaft must point downward at an angle
- •Shuttle must be hit below 1.15m from court surface (BWF Law 9.1.5)
Feet & Position
- •Both feet in contact with court at service
- •No foot may touch a boundary line
- •Feet stationary from start of serve until contact
- •Server must stand in correct service court
Stroke Motion
- •Racket must move continuously forward
- •No feinting (deliberately deceiving the receiver)
- •Shuttle must be hit by the racket head
- •Serve must travel to correct diagonal service box
Let vs Fault
- •Let: shuttle clips net, lands in correct court — replay
- •Fault: shuttle lands out, wrong court, or serve rule broken
- •Rally scoring: every rally = point (serving or receiving)
- •Games to 21 pts, best of 3; deuce at 20-all, cap 30
How to Use the Badminton Serve Fault Reference
Serving faults are one of the most common disputes in recreational badminton. This reference covers every BWF (Badminton World Federation) rule that applies at the moment of service — from shuttle height to racket head angle to foot position.
Step 1: Use the Interactive Checker
Answer the yes/no questions in the checker panel for any serve you want to validate. Each question maps to a specific BWF law. As soon as you mark an answer "No" (failure), the checker highlights the fault and the relevant rule. A serve is only legal if all checks pass.
Step 2: Understand the Waist Rule
The waist height rule is the most misunderstood serve rule. "Waist" does NOT mean your belly button — it means an imaginary horizontal line through the lowest part of your bottom rib. For most adults this is several inches above the navel. Any shuttle contact above this line is a fault, regardless of how the serve looks from the side.
Step 3: Check the Racket Head Position
At the moment of contact, the entire racket head (the full frame and strings) must be below your hand. This means the shaft must be angled downward — side-arm and flat strokes are always faults. A simple test: if your racket head is at or above wrist height, the serve is illegal.
Step 4: Verify Foot Position
Both feet must be in contact with the ground within the service court boundaries, and no part of either foot may be touching a line. Your feet must remain stationary from the moment you begin the serve motion until you make contact. Lifting a heel is allowed as long as the foot stays in place.
FAQ
Is this badminton serve reference free?
Yes, completely free with no signup required.
What is the waist height rule in badminton?
The shuttlecock must be below the server's waist level at the moment of contact. The BWF defines 'waist' as an imaginary line around the body level with the lowest part of the server's bottom rib. Hitting the shuttle above this line is a fault.
Does the racket head have to point downward when serving?
Yes. At the moment of contact, the entire head of the racket must be below the server's hand holding the racket. This rule ensures the serve is an underarm stroke, not an overarm or side-arm motion.
What are the feet requirements for badminton serving?
Both feet must be in contact with the court surface within the service court boundaries. Neither foot may be touching a court line. Feet must remain stationary from the start of the serve until the shuttle is hit.
What is a let in badminton?
A let is a neutral restart where the rally is replayed without a point being scored. Lets can be called if the shuttle clips the net on a serve and falls into the correct service court, or if a disturbance affects play. A let is not a fault.
What is rally scoring in badminton?
Rally scoring means a point is scored on every rally — whether the serving or receiving side wins it. This replaced the old side-out scoring where only the server could score. BWF standard: games to 21 points, best of 3 games.