Badminton Rules For Serving

In badminton, each point begins with a serve. Though badminton used to follow side-out scoring, in which players could win only points on their own serve, the Badminton World Federation has adopted rally scoring, in which players can win points on any rally, whether they or their opponent serves. The Badminton World Federation provides specific rules for serving.

Serving Order

Complete a coin toss with your opponent before the match begins. If you win the coin toss, you can choose whether to serve or receive first, or you can choose your side of the court. If you win the first game, you get to serve first in the next game. The first player to win two games wins the match.

Gaining and Losing Serve

You can win points on your serve as well as on your opponent's serve. If you win a rally on your opponent's serve, you gain a point and the right to serve. You then continue serving until you lose a point.

Serving

The service line runs parallel to the net and 6.5 feet behind it on each side of the court. Center lines run perpendicular to the net and divide the space between the service lines and the end lines into two halves, called the service boxes. In singles badminton, stand in the right service court when you have not scored any points or when you have an even score, and serve from the left service court when you have an odd score. You must serve to the service court diagonally opposite your service court. Neither you nor your opponent can touch the boundary lines of your service courts during the serving motion. Your racket must contact the shuttlecock below your waist. You have only one opportunity to serve.

Lines

The boundary lines on the badminton court count as part of the areas they designate. Thus, if your serve hits one of the boundaries of the service box you were serving toward, the serve is in-bounds.

Service Errors, Faults and Lets

If you serve out of order or from the wrong service court, the referee will simply alert you to your error and ask you to fix it. If your shuttle gets caught on top of the net, passes through or under the net, hits the net and returns to the server's court, or lands out of bounds, the serve counts as a fault, and you lose the point. If you serve before your opponent indicates her readiness to return, the serve counts as a let, and you can replay it.