Badminton Glossary: 47+ Terms Explained
Every sport has its own language. Whether you're a beginner hearing "clear" and "drive" for the first time or a club player brushing up on umpiring terms, this glossary covers all the badminton terminology you need to know.
B
Backhand
A stroke played on the non-racket side of the body. The back of the hand faces the net during the swing.
Baseline
The back boundary line at each end of the court, 13.4m apart.
Bird
Informal term for the shuttlecock, used mainly in North America.
Block
A defensive return where the racket is held still and the shuttle rebounds off it, typically used against smashes.
C
Carry
A fault where the shuttle is caught and held on the racket during a stroke rather than hit cleanly. Also called a sling or throw.
Centre line
The line running from the short service line to the back boundary, dividing the court into left and right service courts.
Clear
A high, deep shot hit to the back of the opponent's court. Used to create space and reset position. Can be attacking (flatter) or defensive (higher).
Crosscourt
A shot played diagonally across the court from one side to the other.
D
Deuce
When the score reaches 20-20 in a game. Play continues until one side leads by 2 points, or the score reaches 30-29.
Double hit
A fault where the shuttle is struck twice in succession by the same player, or by both players on the same side.
Doubles long service line
The line 0.76m inside the back boundary. In doubles, serves must land before this line.
Drive
A fast, flat shot that travels horizontally over the net. Used to maintain pressure and speed up the rally.
Drop shot
A gentle shot that just clears the net and falls close to it on the opponent's side. Used to draw the opponent forward.
E
Even court
The right service court. The server serves from here when the serving side's score is even (0, 2, 4...).
F
Fault
A violation of the rules that ends the rally. The opponent scores a point. Examples include service faults, shuttle landing out, and touching the net.
Feather shuttle
A shuttlecock made with 16 goose feathers. Used in competitive play for superior flight characteristics.
Flick serve
A serve that looks like a low serve but is quickly flicked to the back of the court. Used as a surprise tactic, especially in doubles.
Forehand
A stroke played on the racket side of the body. The palm faces the net during the swing.
G
Game
A single game played to 21 points. A match consists of best of 3 games.
H
Hairpin shot
A net shot where the shuttle is lifted just over the net and drops sharply on the other side, tracing a hairpin-like trajectory.
High serve
A serve hit high and deep to the back of the service court. Primarily used in singles.
K
Kill
A fast, downward shot that is difficult or impossible to return. Usually played at the net.
L
Let
A rally that is stopped and replayed. Called when a shuttle from an adjacent court enters play or other unforeseen disruption occurs.
Lift
An underarm shot that sends the shuttle high to the back of the opponent's court. The defensive version of a clear.
Long service line
The back boundary for doubles serves (0.76m inside the baseline). In singles, the baseline itself is the back service boundary.
Love
Zero points. A score of 5-0 is called 'five-love'.
M
Match
Best of 3 games. The first side to win 2 games wins the match.
Match point
A situation where the leading player needs just one more point to win the match.
N
Net kill
An aggressive shot hit steeply downward from close to the net. Typically ends the rally.
Net shot
Any shot played from near the net. Includes hairpin shots, net kills, and tumbling net shots.
O
Odd court
The left service court. The server serves from here when the serving side's score is odd (1, 3, 5...).
P
Push shot
A gentle shot played from the net area that pushes the shuttle to the midcourt or backcourt of the opponent.
R
Rally
A sequence of shots exchanged between players from the serve until the shuttle stops being in play.
Rally point
The modern scoring system where a point is awarded on every rally, regardless of who served.
Receiver
The player who receives the serve. In doubles, only the designated receiver may return the serve.
Round the head
An overhead forehand shot played on the backhand side of the body by reaching the racket over the head.
S
Server
The player who serves. The server must have both feet stationary and on the ground at the moment of serving.
Service court
The area into which a serve must land. Bounded by the short service line, centre line, sideline, and back service line.
Setting
The old rule (pre-2006) that allowed extending the game at deuce. Replaced by the current win-by-2, cap-at-30 system.
Short service line
The line 1.98m from the net. Serves must clear this line.
Shuttlecock
The projectile hit back and forth in badminton. Made with feathers (competition) or nylon (recreational). Also called shuttle or birdie.
Side-out
The old scoring system (pre-2006) where only the serving side could score a point.
Smash
The most powerful attacking shot. Hit steeply downward from above the head with maximum force. Badminton smashes can exceed 400 km/h.
Straight
A shot played parallel to the sideline, staying on the same side of the court.
T
Tramlines
The strips between the singles and doubles sidelines. In play during doubles, out during singles.
Tumble
A net shot where the shuttle rotates (tumbles) as it crosses the net, making it harder to return cleanly.
U
Umpire
The official who oversees a match, calls the score, and makes fault decisions. Sits on a raised chair at the net post.
Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a clear in badminton?
A clear is a high, deep shot hit to the back of the opponent's court. It is one of the most fundamental shots in badminton. A defensive clear is hit high and deep to buy time, while an attacking clear is hit flatter and faster to push the opponent back quickly.
What is a drive in badminton?
A drive is a fast, flat shot that travels horizontally just above the net. It is used to maintain pressure, speed up the rally, and prevent the opponent from attacking. Drives are common in doubles play.
What does 'love' mean in badminton?
Love means zero. When the score is announced as '5-love', it means 5-0. The origin of the term is debated — one theory is that it comes from the French word 'l'oeuf' (egg), representing zero.
What is a let in badminton?
A let is called when a rally is stopped and replayed without awarding a point. This happens when a shuttle from an adjacent court enters play, a player is distracted by an unexpected event, or the server serves before the receiver is ready.
What are tramlines in badminton?
Tramlines are the narrow strips between the inner (singles) and outer (doubles) sidelines. They are 0.46m wide on each side. In doubles, tramlines are in play for both serves and rallies. In singles, they are always out of bounds.