In badminton, how far is the short service line from the net?

In badminton, the short service line is 1.98 metres from the net.

This line crosses the court and marks the nearest point to the net where a legal serve may land. It applies to both singles and doubles service courts. The measurement is taken horizontally from the vertical plane of the net to the line's nearest edge under court regulations.

The short service line is different from the long service line. In singles, the back boundary is also the long service boundary, while in doubles the rear doubles service line is inside the back boundary. This arrangement makes doubles service courts shorter from front to back.

A common mix-up is confusing the short service line with the net height or the centre line. The centre line divides left and right service courts, while the short service line separates the front service area from the rear portion of the court.