Parts of a Badminton Court

Badminton is a game played by two to four players on a court using a racket and shuttlecock, or "birdie." As the fastest racket game and the fifth most popular racket sport in the world, it challenges the speed, agility and stamina of players. First played in the 18th century, today the game is regulated by the Badminton World Federation, which provides a standardized court layout and dimensions used across the globe.

  1. Court Dimensions

    • A standard badminton court is a rectangle 44 feet (13.4 m) long and 20 feet (6.1 m) wide. The full width is used only in doubles' games; in singles' competition the width is reduced to 17 feet (5.18 m). The unused widths of 1.5 feet on each side -- known as the tramlines -- are marked out by parallel lines. The various parts of the court are marked by lines 1.5 inches (40 mil) in width and white or yellow in colour.

    Service Courts

    • The short service line, 6.5 feet (1.98 m) from the net, marks the point beyond which a serve must land to be legal. The back boundary line at the very edge of the court serves as the long service line in singles' competition and indicates the furthest point a serve is allowed to land. In doubles' competition, the long service line is defined by a line 2 feet, 6 inches (0.78 m) from the back boundary line. Running from the short service line to the back boundary line is the center line, which divides the service area into left and right service courts.

    Net

    • The net bisects the court at exactly 22 feet (6.7 m) from each end. The posts holding the net must be 5 feet, 1 inch (1.55 m) high and remain vertical even if the net is strained. The net itself should be made from a dark-colored fine cord of even thickness, 2.5 feet (760 mil) in height and as least as wide as the court, topped with a white cloth 3 inches (75 mil) wide.

    Other Details

    • Badminton courts are usually made with a surface of wood, concrete or bituminous material. They can be covered with a color coating to shelter the material. No minimum height is defined for a badminton court, but there should be space for players to make high serves or returns without the birdie striking the ceiling.