Badminton Court Dimensions

The proper dimensions when it comes to maintaining a healthy lawn is essential. The same goes for badminton courts, where precise measurements are crucial for the sport to be played fairly and effectively. In this article, I will share my knowledge and experience about badminton court dimensions, including the history of these dimensions, international and national regulations, the impact of dimensions on gameplay, and the equipment and maintenance of badminton courts.

As someone who is passionate about badminton, I know firsthand that it is a popular sport played by millions of people around the world, both casually and competitively. The game demands agility, speed, and precision, which is why I believe that having a well-maintained court is absolutely essential. In this section, I would like to discuss the significance of court dimensions in badminton and the purpose of this article.

Explanation of Badminton as a Sport

As someone who has played badminton before, I can tell you that it’s a racquet sport that can be played by either two or four players. The objective of the game is to hit a shuttlecock over the net and onto the opposing team’s court. Players need to use their racquets to hit the shuttlecock back and forth, trying to keep it in play until one team misses or hits the shuttlecock out of bounds.

Importance of Court Dimensions in Badminton

In my opinion, the dimensions of a badminton court are incredibly important and can significantly impact the fairness and enjoyment of the sport. When the court dimensions aren’t accurate, it can negatively affect the strategy, technique, and overall flow of the game. This is precisely why I believe that it’s essential to understand and adhere to the proper court dimensions in order to maintain a level playing field.

Badminton Court Dimensions

Width & Length

A standard badminton court is a large rectangle that is divided in half by a net that runs across the width of the court. The length of the court is always 44 feet. Each half of the court is 22 feet in length from the net to the rear boundary. However, the width of the court is different depending on whether you’re playing a singles (two people) or doubles (four people) game. 

• Singles court dimensions: 44 x 17 feet
• Doubles court dimensions: 44 x 20 feet

Center Lines & Service Lines

A badminton court also has center lines that run down the middle of the court lengthwise to divide each half of the court into two rectangles and service lines that run parallel to the net. The service lines are basically the boundaries that you must stay within when you serve the shuttlecock. 

The front service lines are located six feet and six inches from the net on either side. The rear service line is two feet and six inches from the outer boundary of the court. The rear service line is used for doubles games. In singles games, the rear boundary line is used as the rear service line.

• Front service lines: 6.5 feet from the net on either side
• Back service lines: 2.5 feet from the back boundary lines on either side

Badminton Net Dimensions

A badminton net runs the entire width of the court, regardless of whether you’re playing singles or doubles. Therefore, the net needs to be 20 feet in length. The net is attached to two posts with no spaces in between the posts and the net. Standard posts are five feet and one inch in height. The net should be attached to the top of the posts so that it is five feet and one inches off the ground at the sides with only a slight sag to five feet in the center. In addition, there should be a space of 2.5 feet from the ground to the bottom of the net, and the net should be 2.5 feet from top to bottom.

Badminton Equipment

Badminton requires very little equipment to play. All you need is a shuttlecock and either two or four rackets for singles or doubles games. 

A traditional shuttlecock is made of leather-covered cork with 16 goose feathers attached to the cork that each measure about 2.5 inches in length. You can also buy shuttlecocks made of plastic or other synthetic materials. Either way, the weight of the shuttlecock should be between 4.74 to 5.5 grams (or 0.16 to 0.19 ounces). 

Badminton rackets are typically made of lightweight material such as aluminum alloy, steel, or titanium. Standard badminton rackets are no more than two feet and 2.8 inches in length and 9 inches in width. 

You can buy badminton equipment as individual pieces or in sets that come with two to four rackets and one or more shuttlecocks. You can also buy complete home badminton sets that include rackets, shuttlecocks, badminton nets, and posts. Visit the 7 Best Badminton Sets to see which badminton set is right for you.

How Are the Lines on a Badminton Court Used During a Game?

In badminton, it is essential to know and understand the lines on the court. They dictate the serving and receiving positions, as well as the boundaries of the game. As a player, I must serve the shuttlecock from within my service area. Once the serve is made, my opponent and I can move freely within our respective sides of the court. To win a rally, I must hit the shuttlecock so that it lands inside the opposing team’s service area. However, if the shuttlecock lands outside of the boundary lines, I lose the rally. It’s also worth noting that serving outside my service area results in an automatic loss of the rally.

Basic Badminton Rules

To start a game of badminton, we need to decide who will serve first. We can do this by throwing the shuttlecock in the air and seeing which way it lands. Whichever team the cork end is pointing towards will serve first.

The team serving first must serve the shuttlecock diagonally across the net into the opposing team’s service area. Once the first serve is made, we rally back and forth to volley the shuttlecock over the net. The basic idea is to try and get the shuttlecock to land on the ground inside the opposing team’s service area.

We earn points every time we win a rally. We can win a rally by getting the shuttlecock onto the ground of the opposing team’s service court. If we hit the shuttlecock out of bounds, hit it into the net, or reach over the net while serving, we lose the rally and the other team wins a point.

The first team to reach 21 points with at least a two-point lead wins the game. In tournaments, a match is won when a team wins two out of three games.

For more in-depth details about the rules of badminton, we can read our comprehensive article on Badminton Rules.

How to Set Up a Badminton Court in Your Backyard

Setting up a badminton court in my backyard is relatively easy. All I need is a flat expanse of ground, a measuring tape, something to mark out the lines, a net, and net posts.

In terms of space, I will need at least 44 feet in length and 20 feet in width, which equals 880 square feet. I will also need extra room around the outside of the court to ensure I have enough space to play comfortably and a place for the shuttlecock to land when it goes out of bounds.

The lines on a badminton court are typically white or yellow so that they are easy to see. They also measure about 1.6 inches in width. Of course, if I’m only playing for fun in my backyard, I don’t need to get too technical about the dimensions of the lines.

I can read more about setting up a badminton court in my backyard at Everything You Need to Know About Backyard Badminton.

Final Thoughts

I understand that it might seem overwhelming with all the rules regarding badminton court dimensions and equipment measurements. However, if your aim is to create a simple backyard court where you can play casual games, you don’t need to be precise with the measurements. As long as you’re close to the standard measurements for court length, width, and net height, you can still have a good time playing the game. Ultimately, having fun is what it’s all about, isn’t it?