Badminton beginners should understand the rules and official terms before compete a game. It can help you avoid to be panic when the judge says some technical terms.

According to the laws of badminton which published by BWF 9.1.8－－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).

So, the serve must land in a designated area behind a line two meters away from the net; if it lands before this line the umpire will call “Fault” (Figure 1. meaning against the rules) because the shuttlecock has failed to reach the designated area, however this is commonly referred to informally as “Short” by the average player (as in short of the line).

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If the serve lands beyond the base line the umpire in a formal competition will call “Out” (Figure 2. out of the designated area). Some English commentators will say “long on the baseline.”

If the shuttlecock lands near the sideline the line judge will decide if the shot is valid and will say “In” if inside the line(Figure 3. inside the line) and “Out” if outside the line(Figure 4. outside the line).

(Figure 1. meaning against the rules)
Official term : Fault
The shuttlecock lands in front of the shortservice line

 

(Figure 2. out of the designated area)
Official term : Out
The serve lands outside the designated area

(Figure 3. inside the line)
Official term : In
The shuttlecock lands inside the side line (effective points-scoring area)

Left：in singles game
Right：in doubles game

(Figure 4. outside the line)
Official term : Out
The shuttlecock lands outside the sideline