In badminton, what is a let?

In badminton, a let is a rally that is stopped and replayed.

The umpire calls a let when play must be interrupted without awarding the rally to either side. One example is an unforeseen event that disrupts play, such as another shuttle entering the court. A let can also be called when a receiver was not ready and the receiver attempted no return, provided the official judges that the situation was appropriate.

After a let, the score does not change. The same server serves again from the correct service court, and the rally is played anew. This differs from a fault, which awards the rally to the opponent.

A let is therefore a neutral restart rather than a point, penalty, or automatic service change. Officials use the call to keep an interruption from unfairly deciding the outcome.