The Court Size Rules for Badminton

Badminton was first played in the mid-18th century in India by British officers in the military. It was originally called Poona after a small town where it was first played. It was at Badminton House in England where the game was officially launched by the Duke of Beaufort. It was in 1893 that the first set of official badminton rules were set out.

  1. The Badminton Court

    • A badminton court surface should be either concrete or wooden. If the badminton court is a permanent fixture it can be protected by a colored coating. It should be smooth but not slippery. The lines on a badminton court should be one-and-a-half inches wide and painted with either a yellow or white paint. On each side of the net there is a 22 feet by 20 feet playing area. The short service line should be 78 inches from the net. The diagonal length of the court is 47 feet. There is no law as to how high the ceiling must be for a badminton match, but if the ceiling is not high enough then it will not be suitable for high serves.

    The Net

    • The posts for the net must be five feet and one inch from the ground and must remain vertical when the net is pulled tight. The net must be made from a dark cord and the mesh must be no thicker than half an inch. The depth of the net must be two and a half feet. There should be a white edging of tape on the top of the net that is three inches and doubled over so it covers both sides. The top of the net should be five feet from the ground in the center of the court and five feet and one inch at the edge of the court. There must be no gaps between the posts and the edge of the netting

    Different Court Sizes

    • In a doubles match the whole width of the court is used, that is 20 feet. In singles, the width of the court is reduced to 17 feet. In both singles and in doubles the entire length of the court is used. The service courts are marked by a center line and by a short service line which is six feet and six inches from the net. In doubles, the service court is also marked by a long service line, which is two feet and six inches from the back line.