Hi there to you all. I have to play badminton in one hour and quickly need the answer to a badminton question, so if you can help me out here it would very much be appreciated. I have Played badminton every Thursday for the last 8 years and always played the same way. We now have a new player with us and he told me that when I am having someone serve at me, I am supposed to stand completely still and not move about. He could be absolutely right but he could be wrong too as I have never heard of this before. Whilst I am facing someone serving at me I do move around slightly or change my stance whilst they are serving to me and I thought that this was within the rules, can anybody please tell me who is right and who is wrong??? Many thanks
Basically, am I allowed to move at all is the opposition is serving at me or do I have to stand absolutely still??
It depends. Your wording is a bit iffy/hard for me to imagine exactly what you're saying. If both the server and the receiver are ready, you should be standing "still" (to an extent, notice it is in quotes). I mean, you shouldn't be moving about too much as that will cause a distraction (which is not allowed). Sometimes players who are set and lose their footing right before the serve and have to reset, that's fine. (Unless they attempt a play on the shuttle during the serve, that's a receiver fault [by rule]. If you stumble and lose your footing, have your hand up showing you were not ready). Like I said, I'm probably imaging this completely different. From what I read, and what I'm imagining, it seems that he is ready to serve, you're standing still, then decide to move over to the left, then change your mind and move over to the right, then change your mind again and moving back 2 steps etc. In that case, that's delay of game/distraction. But if you're talking about right before the serve, you squat a little bit for example, then that is fine.
I didn't think I had explained it too well and your right it is an iffy one this. My badminton partner thinks that I should be absolutely still whilst I am returning serve. However, I feel that its fine to change stance from left foot placed in front to changing feet whilst he is serving. You see, I know that this could put him off his serve and I am being honest when I say that I am happy to force a poor serve from him but within the rules if I am entitled to do this.
There is a rule that states: some part of both feet of the server and the receiver shall remain in contact with the surface of the court in a stationary position from the start of the service (Law 9.2) until the service is delivered (Law 9.3); Start of service: 9.2 Once the players are ready for the service, the first forward movement of the server’s racket head shall be the start of the service Delivery of service: 9.3 Once started (Law 9.2), the service is delivered whe n the shuttle is hit by the server’s racket or, in attempting to serve, the server misses the shuttle.
i interpreted the rule as that i'm not allow to move my feet, but my legs i can move, meaning if i know my opponent will flick, i can bend my knees more to anticipate a flick so that i can hop farther back to get to the shuttle sooner. by while bending my knees i am not moving my feet and i am not taking any steps anywhere, the bottom of my shoes are stuck to the ground till the shuttle is struck by the server.
Yeah this is right. The shoes have to stay on the ground. So you can not change your foot position like that, sweden666. And this goes for the server as well. Some club players make service fault not keeping their feet on the ground during the service. Not a big deal though I guess.
