Badminton terms, from alley to wood shot: this glossary defines 95 words you'll hear on court, grouped into shots, scoring and serving, the court, equipment, faults and lets, and tactics. Search for a word, filter by category, or jump to a letter. Every term has its own link you can share, and many point to a page that explains it in depth.
Definitions follow the BWF Laws of Badminton where the Laws define the term (like let, fault and in play), and common club usage where they don't (like hairpin or round the head).
Badminton terms and definitions, A to Z
95 terms
A
- Alleyalso: TramlineCourt
- The 0.46 m (1 ft 6 in) strip between the singles and doubles sidelines. Out in singles, in for doubles rallies. More →
- Attacking clearShots
- A flatter, faster clear that just gets over the opponent's reach to push them back before they can set up. More →
B
- Back alleyCourt
- The 0.76 m (2 ft 6 in) strip between the doubles long service line and the back boundary line. Out on a doubles serve, in during the rally. More →
- Backcourtalso: Rear courtCourt
- The back third of the court, roughly from the doubles long service line area to the baseline, where clears, smashes and drops are played.
- BackhandShots
- Any stroke played on the non-racket side of the body, with the back of the hand facing the shuttle. More →
- BackswingTactics & play
- The preparation movement before a stroke. On the serve, a pause after the backswing counts as undue delay (Law 9.1.2). More →
- Balance pointEquipment
- Where a racket balances along its length. Head-heavy rackets favor power; head-light rackets favor speed at the net. More →
- Basealso: CorkEquipment
- The rounded cork or synthetic head of the shuttle. The server's racket must hit the base first (Law 9.1.5). More →
- Baselinealso: Back boundary lineCourt
- The line at each end of the court, 6.70 m from the net. It is also the singles long service line. More →
- Best of threeScoring & serving
- The standard match format: the first side to win two games wins the match. More →
- Birdalso: BirdieEquipment
- Informal name for the shuttlecock, common in North America.
- BlockShots
- A soft, short return of a smash that uses the smash's pace and drops the shuttle just over the net.
C
- Carryalso: SlingFaults & lets
- When the shuttle is caught and held on the racket and then slung. A fault (Law 13.3.6). More →
- Centre lineCourt
- The line that splits each half into left and right service courts, running from the short service line to the baseline.
- Change of endsScoring & serving
- Players swap ends after game one, after game two, and in game three when the leading score first reaches the interval point (11 in 21-point games, 8 in 15-point games). More →
- Clearalso: LobShots
- A high, deep shot to the opponent's back line, used to buy time or move them back. More →
- Cross-courtShots
- Any shot hit diagonally from one side of the court to the other.
- Cutalso: SliceShots
- Hitting across the shuttle with an angled racket face to slow it or curve it, common on drops and smashes.
D
- DeceptionTactics & play
- Disguising a shot so it looks like another until the last moment, such as shaping for a clear and playing a drop.
- Defensive clearShots
- A very high, deep clear that gives you time to recover to base.
- Deucealso: SettingScoring & serving
- When the score reaches 20-all (14-all under the 15-point system), a side must lead by two to win, up to the cap. More →
- Double hitFaults & lets
- The same player hitting the shuttle twice in succession. A fault (Law 13.3.7). One stroke that touches frame and strings together is fine. More →
- DoublesTactics & play
- Two players per side. The serve uses the short, wide service court; rallies use the full court. More →
- Doubles long service lineCourt
- The line 0.76 m inside each baseline. A doubles serve landing behind it is out. More →
- DriveShots
- A fast, flat shot that travels just over the net height, usually from mid-court.
E
- EndCourt
- Each half of the court either side of the net; players change ends between games.
F
- FaultFaults & lets
- Any infringement of the Laws that ends the rally. The other side wins the rally and the point. More →
- Feather shuttleEquipment
- A shuttle with 16 feathers fixed in a cork base, used at club and competition level. More →
- FlickShots
- A quick wrist and finger action that turns a shot that looks soft into a fast, high one.
- Flick serveShots
- A serve that looks like a short serve but is flicked high over the receiver to the back of the service court.
- Follow throughTactics & play
- The racket's motion after contact. It may cross over the net if contact was on your side and you don't touch the net.
- FootworkTactics & play
- How you move to and from the shuttle: split step, chassé, lunge and recovery. More →
- ForecourtCourt
- The front area between the net and roughly the short service line, where net shots are played.
- Front and backTactics & play
- The doubles attacking formation: one player at the net, one at the back hitting down. More →
G
- GameScoring & serving
- One part of a match, won by the first side to 21 points (15 from 4 January 2027) with the deuce and cap rules. More →
- Game pointScoring & serving
- The moment when one side needs one more rally to win the game.
H
- Hairpinalso: Spinning net shotShots
- A net shot that rises just above the tape and drops straight down on the other side, tracing a hairpin shape.
- Half smashShots
- A smash with less power and a steeper angle, used for placement rather than pace.
- Hawk-Eyealso: Instant Review SystemFaults & lets
- Camera-based line-calling technology used at top events. Players can challenge line calls until they lose two challenges in a game. More →
- High serveShots
- A high, deep serve to the back of the service court, mostly used in singles.
I
- In playFaults & lets
- The shuttle is in play from the moment the serve is struck until it hits the floor, a fault or let happens, or it hits the net and starts falling back on the striker's side (Law 15).
K
- KillShots
- A fast, downward shot that can't realistically be returned, usually from a high net position.
L
- LetFaults & lets
- A halt in play; the rally is replayed and the last server serves again. Examples: serving before the receiver is ready, or the shuttle caught in the net during a rally. More →
- LiftShots
- An underarm shot from the forecourt that sends the shuttle high to the back of the court.
- Line judgeFaults & lets
- An official who calls whether the shuttle landed in or out on their assigned lines. The umpire can overrule only a clearly wrong call. More →
- Long service lineCourt
- The back limit of the service court: the baseline in singles, the doubles long service line (0.76 m inside it) in doubles.
- LoveScoring & serving
- Zero. A score of 5–0 is read as “five–love”.
- LungeTactics & play
- A long final step, racket foot first, to reach the shuttle in the forecourt.
M
- MatchScoring & serving
- The full contest between two sides, normally best of three games.
- Match pointScoring & serving
- The moment when one side needs one more rally to win the match.
- Mixed doublesTactics & play
- Doubles with one man and one woman on each side. More →
N
- NetEquipment
- Dark mesh 760 mm deep, at least 6.1 m wide, with a 75 mm white tape on top. Its top is 1.524 m high at the centre. More →
- Net cordFaults & lets
- When the shuttle clips the tape and continues over. Play on: there is no let for hitting the net, even on the serve. More →
- Net shotShots
- A soft shot from near the net that just clears the tape and falls close to it on the other side.
O
- ObstructionFaults & lets
- Preventing an opponent from making a legal stroke where the shuttle is followed over the net. A fault (Law 13.4.4).
- OverheadShots
- Any shot played above the head: clear, drop or smash.
P
- PushShots
- A gentle, flat shot from the forecourt or mid-court into the opponent's mid-court.
R
- RallyScoring & serving
- A sequence of shots from the serve until the shuttle stops being in play. Every rally scores a point.
- Rally scoringScoring & serving
- Scoring where the winner of every rally scores a point, whoever served. Badminton has used it since 2006. More →
- Ready positionTactics & play
- Balanced stance with the racket up, knees bent, weight forward, ready to move in any direction.
- ReceiverScoring & serving
- The player diagonally opposite the server. Must stand still in their service court until the serve is struck.
- RefereeFaults & lets
- The official in overall charge of a tournament; the umpire on court refers matters to the referee.
- Round the headShots
- An overhead shot hit on the backhand side but with a forehand action, reaching over the head.
S
- Servealso: ServiceScoring & serving
- The underarm stroke that starts every rally, hit from below 1.15 m into the diagonally opposite service court. More →
- Service courtCourt
- The box a serve must land in, diagonally opposite the server: long and narrow in singles, short and wide in doubles. More →
- Service court errorFaults & lets
- Serving or receiving out of turn or from the wrong court. Corrected when found; the score stands (Law 12). More →
- Service faultFaults & lets
- Any breach of the service laws: shuttle hit at or above 1.15 m, feet moving, pause, missing the shuttle, landing outside the box, and more. More →
- Short serveShots
- A low serve that just clears the tape and lands near the short service line. The standard doubles serve.
- Short service lineCourt
- The line 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) from the net. A serve landing in front of it is a fault. More →
- Shuttlecockalso: ShuttleEquipment
- The projectile: 16 feathers in a cork base, or a synthetic equivalent. Weighs 4.74 to 5.50 g under the Laws. More →
- Side by sideTactics & play
- The doubles defensive formation, each player covering one half of the court. More →
- SidelinesCourt
- The long lines along each side: the inner (singles) sideline and the outer (doubles) sideline.
- SinglesTactics & play
- One player per side. The court is long and narrow for both serve and rally. More →
- Spin serveFaults & lets
- A serve where spin is added as the shuttle is released. Banned: the server must release the shuttle without adding spin (Law 9.1.5). More →
- Split stepTactics & play
- A small hop just as the opponent hits, landing ready to push off in any direction. More →
- String tensionEquipment
- How tightly the racket is strung, in lbs or kg. Higher tension gives control; lower gives more power and forgiveness. More →
- StrokeShots
- A forward movement of the racket intended to hit the shuttle.
- Sweet spotEquipment
- The area of the string bed that gives the cleanest, most powerful contact.
T
U
- UmpireFaults & lets
- The official in charge of a match on court, who calls faults, lets and the score.
- Undue delayFaults & lets
- Holding up the serve or play once both players are ready. A service fault on the serve; warnings and faults under Law 16 during the match.
- Unforced errorTactics & play
- A lost rally caused by your own mistake rather than pressure from the opponent. More →
W
- Wood shotShots
- A shot hit off the racket frame. Legal, as long as it's one stroke.
- Wrist snapShots
- Popular name for the forearm rotation and finger squeeze that add speed at contact; most power actually comes from pronation. More →
#
- 1.15 m rulealso: Fixed-height serviceScoring & serving
- The whole shuttle must be below 1.15 m from the floor when the server hits it (Law 9.1.6). More →
- 15-point systemalso: 3×15Scoring & serving
- Best of three games to 15, 14-all deuce, capped at 21, interval at 8. The BWF Laws switch to it on 4 January 2027, with 21-point games kept as an alternative. More →
The badminton terminology beginners need first
New to the game? These ten words cover most of what you'll hear in your first month:
- Rally and rally scoring: every rally wins a point.
- Serve: underarm, below 1.15 m, diagonally across.
- Clear: high and deep to the back.
- Drop shot: soft, from the back, falling just over the net.
- Smash: the fast downward overhead.
- Net shot: the soft touch from net to net.
- Lift: underarm from the front, high to the back.
- Alley: the tramlines, out in singles.
- Let: replay the rally.
- Deuce: win by two from 20-all.
See the shots in motion in types of badminton shots, then put the rules together with the complete rules guide and the rules quiz.
Badminton terms list by category
Use the category chips above for a focused badminton terms list: shots for everything you hit, scoring & serving for the words umpires use, court for every line and area (measured on the court dimensions page), equipment for rackets, strings and shuttles, and faults & lets for what stops a rally (explained on faults and lets).
Frequently asked questions
What is a let in badminton?
A let halts play and the rally is replayed with no point scored, for example when the server serves before the receiver is ready or the shuttle is caught in the net during a rally.
What is a clear in badminton?
A high, deep shot hit to the opponent's back line, used to push them back or buy time. An attacking clear is flatter and faster; a defensive clear is higher.
What are the tramlines in badminton?
The narrow alleys along each side between the singles and doubles sidelines, 0.46 m wide. They're out in singles and in for doubles.
What is a kill in badminton?
A fast, steep shot, usually at the net, that's practically impossible to return.
What is a birdie?
Another name for the shuttlecock, common in North America. The Laws call it a shuttle.
What does love mean in badminton?
Zero. A score of 3–0 is read as three–love.