Badminton Serve Height Rule: The 1.15-Metre Service Law Explained (With Examples)

The whole shuttle must be below 1.15 metres from the court surface at the instant the server's racket strikes it. BWF introduced this fixed-height rule in March 2018, replacing the old "below the waist / lowest rib" judgement with a single, objective measurement.

How the 1.15 m rule changed serving overnight

When BWF swapped the old "below the lowest rib" wording for a flat 1.15 m line in 2018, it quietly reshaped the serve. Tall players lost the extra height their ribs used to hand them, and almost everyone drifted to the backhand low serve — held out front, easy to keep level just under the line, easy for you to watch yourself. If you still serve forehand from the hip and get called a lot, this is why: that swing naturally rides up through the line as it travels. Switch to a backhand serve and the 1.15 m rule stops being your enemy and starts being a handrail. Hitting the serve too high isn't the only way to lose the rally, of course — for a full list of what ends a point see every fault that loses you the rally.

Why a fixed 1.15 m?

The old rule (shuttle below the waist, racket head below the hand) depended on each player's height and a judge's eye — taller players effectively got a higher legal contact point, and calls were subjective. A fixed 1.15 m line is the same for everyone. At top events a service judge watches the contact against a clear panel marked at 1.15 m: if the whole shuttle is above the line at impact, it's a fault. For the full picture of what makes a serve legal — court position, foot faults and contact rules — see the complete guide to a legal serve.

What it means in practice

• It's the whole shuttle (not the base alone) that must be below 1.15 m at contact — not before, not after.
• Roughly hip-to-lower-rib height for most adults, but the number is what counts.
• It applies to every serve — low serves and flick serves alike.

FAQ

• Q: What is the 1.15 m rule in badminton? The entire shuttle must be below 1.15 m from the floor when you hit the serve.
• Q: When did the 1.15 m service rule start? March 2018, as a BWF fixed-height law replacing the waist-height rule.
• Q: Is it measured at contact or release? At the instant of contact with the racket.
• Q: Why was the waist-height rule replaced? It was subjective and favoured taller players; a fixed line is objective.
• Q: Does it apply to flick serves too? Yes — any serve must be struck with the whole shuttle below 1.15 m.