In badminton, giving away easy points on preventable faults can cost you the match. A fault ends the rally immediately and gives a point to your opponent. A let stops play and replays the rally with no score change.
Here are the 12 most common badminton faults and official let rules defined by the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
Part 1: Common Service Faults
1. Service Height Fault (Above 1.15 Meters)
Under official BWF laws, the entire shuttlecock must be below 1.15 meters from the court floor at the moment your racket strikes it. Hitting above this level is an automatic fault.
2. Foot Fault on Service
Both feet of both the server and receiver must remain stationary and touching the floor inside their respective service boxes. Stepping on any boundary line or lifting a foot before contact is a foot fault.
3. Hitting the Feathers First
When delivering a serve, you must strike the cork base of the shuttle first. Striking the feathers or skirt first results in a service fault.
4. Deceptive Pause or Feinting
Once you start your forward racket motion, the swing must be one smooth, continuous movement. Pausing mid-swing or faking to deceive the receiver is strictly illegal.
class="wp-block-heading">Part 2: Net Faults & Obstructions
5. Touching the Net
Touching the net, net posts, or support cables with your racket, clothing, or body while the shuttle is in play is an immediate net fault.
6. Reaching Over the Net (Early Contact)
You cannot hit the shuttlecock while it is still on your opponent’s side of the net. However, if you make contact on your side, your racket is legally allowed to follow through across the net tape.
7. Net Obstruction & Distraction
Holding your racket up at the net tape to block an opponent’s legal stroke or shouting/gesturing to distract them is an obstruction fault.
Part 3: In-Play & Contact Faults
8. Double Hit
Hitting the shuttlecock twice in succession by one player, or by both partners in doubles, is a double hit fault. (A single accidental contact with both strings and frame in one fluid stroke is permitted).
9. Shuttle Touching the Player
If the shuttlecock touches your shirt, body, shoes, or hair—even if it was clearly flying out of bounds—you lose the point immediately.
10. Shuttle Caught on Racket (Scooping/Carrying)
The shuttle must be cleanly struck. If it is caught, carried, or slung along the strings, a fault is called.
11. Shuttle Passing Through or Under the Net
If the shuttlecock travels through the net mesh, passes underneath the net, or gets stuck suspended on top of the net tape during a rally, it is a fault on the hitter.
12. Out-of-Bounds Landing
The shuttlecock landing completely outside the boundary lines or hitting the ceiling/side walls of the gym.
Official Let Rules: When to Replay a Point
A let halts play and the entire rally is replayed with no point awarded. A let is called when:
- Receiver Not Ready: The server delivers the shuttle before the receiver is ready (and the receiver makes no attempt to return it).
- Stray Shuttle: A shuttlecock from an adjacent court flies onto your court during a live rally.
- Broken Shuttle: The shuttlecock breaks or the cork separates from the skirt mid-rally.
- Unsighted Officials: Line judges and the umpire are completely unsighted on a close boundary call.
- Simultaneous Fault: Both the server and receiver commit a fault at the exact same moment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a fault and a let in badminton?
A fault is a rule violation that ends the rally and awards a point to your opponent. A let is an unforeseen stoppage that replays the rally with no score change.
Can your racket cross the net after hitting the shuttle?
Yes. As long as you make initial contact with the shuttle on your side of the net, your racket may follow through across the net without committing a fault, provided you do not touch the net cord.