Badminton Rules on Lines

Badminton is a sport like volleyball or tennis that is played by two sides separated by a net. The badminton net sits with its top edge 5 feet above the court. The opposing sides can be single players or the game also offers a doubles option with two players on each side of the net. Players use rackets to bat the shuttlecock back and forth over the net until it hits the ground. The goal is to get the shuttlecock to land on the opponent's side of the net, inside the outer boundaries. Only the serving team can score.

  1. Net Line

    • The net line runs across the middle of the court and indicates the dividing line between the two players or teams. The line divides the courts into two 22-by-20-foot halves. It is a rules violation for a player to pass under the net during the course of play, so this line marks the point which can not be crossed. The net would be placed to run parallel to this line on the court.

    Service Lines

    • The service area is marked on the court by a number of lines. The player who serves and the player who is receiving serve must begin the point in the proper service area. There is a short service line that is placed 6-feet-6-inches from the net line. The area inside the short service line is also called the non-volley zone. There is also a center line that runs from the short service line to the long service line that divides the left service court from the right service court. The long service line for singles is also the back boundary line for the court, being placed 22 feet from the net, while the long service line for doubles falls 2 1/2 feet inside the singles long service line.

    Outside Boundaries

    • The court is the same length for both singles and doubles, with the back boundary line being placed 22 feet back from the net. There are two separate sidelines on a badminton court, however. The full court width is 20 feet, but that boundary is the sideline for doubles only. The singles sideline is placed a foot and a half inside the doubles sideline, leaving a court width of 17 feet for singles badminton.