How to serve legally

References are made to the Laws of Badminton.

1. In a correct service:
   1. neither side shall cause undue delay to the delivery of the service once the server and the receiver are ready for the service. On completion of the backward movement of the server’s racket head, any delay in the start of the service (Law 2), shall be considered to be an undue delay;
   2. the server and the receiver shall stand within diagonally opposite service courts without touching the boundary lines of these service courts;
   3. some part of both feet of the server and the receiver shall remain in contact with the surface of the court in a stationary position from the start of the service (Law 2) until the service is delivered (Law 3);
   4. the server’s racket shall initially hit the base of the shuttle;
   5. the whole shuttle shall be below the server’s waist at the instant of being hit by the server’s racket. The waist shall be considered to be an imaginary line round the body, level with the lowest part of the servers bottom rib;
   6. the shaft of the server’s racket at the instant of hitting the shuttle shall be pointing in a downward direction;
   7. the movement of the server’s racket shall continue forwards from the start of the service (Law 2) until the service is delivered (Law 3);
   8. the flight of the shuttle shall be upwards from the server’s racket to pass over the net so that, if not intercepted, it shall land in the receiver’s service court (i.e. on or within the boundary lines);
   9. in attempting to serve, the server shall not miss the shuttle.
2. Once the players are ready for the service, the first forward movement of the server’s racket head shall be the start of the service.
3. Once started (Law 2), the service is delivered when the shuttle is hit by the server’s racket or, in attempting to serve, the server misses the shuttle.
4. The server shall not serve before the receiver is ready. However, the receiver shall be considered to have been ready if a return of the service is attempted.
5. In doubles, during the delivery of service (Laws 2 & 3), the partners may take up any positions within their respective courts, which do not un-sight the opposing server or receiver.