Similar to other sports courts, badminton courts adhere to specific rules regarding their dimensions and layout. So, what are the standard measurements for a badminton court? You can discover this information in our article on goodheathplan.com.
Badminton Court Layout
A standard badminton court usually takes on a rectangular shape with a background color, commonly green or blue. The playing area gets precisely defined and segmented into different zones with the use of boundary lines. These lines include:
- The Center Line: This line bisects the court into two equal halves, specifically the right and left sides. It runs perpendicular to the net, passing through the court’s midpoint.
- The Sideline: There are four lines here, all running parallel to the center line, with two on each side of the court. These vertical lines serve different purposes depending on whether it’s singles or doubles play. In singles, the two inner lines are utilized, while in doubles, the outer lines come into play.
- The Short Service Line: These two lines are positioned at a distance of 1.98 meters (6.5 feet) from the net, extending toward the back of the court.
- The Long Service Line: This line marks the serving boundary. A serve executed beyond this line is deemed out-of-bounds. In accordance with singles or doubles play, there are two variations of the long service line.
- The Back Boundary Line: These two lines run parallel to the net and are situated at each end of the court. They also serve as the long service line in singles play.
To ensure clear visibility, these lines on the badminton court are typically painted in yellow or white. Moreover, each line maintains a consistent width, measuring 40mm (approximately 1.57 inches).
Standard Badminton Court Sizes
The dimensions of a badminton singles court differ from those of a doubles badminton court.
For doubles, the badminton court measures 13.4 meters (44 feet) in length and 6.1 meters (20 feet) in width, with a diagonal length of 14.73 meters (48.3 feet). The court is defined by two outer boundary lines and two horizontal lines at each end.
Conversely, the singles badminton court is smaller, with a length of 13.4 meters (44 feet) and a width of 5.18 meters (17 feet). The diagonal length of the singles court is 14.38 meters (47.2 feet), and it is marked by two outer long lines and two end goal lines.
While the Badminton Code doesn’t specify a minimum height for the court, it is considered unsuitable if the shuttlecock can touch the ceiling during a high serve. Typically, professional badminton courts have a height of 9.5 meters (31.2 feet), but domestic courts often have a height of only 7.5 meters (24.6 feet).
Service and Reception Boundaries on the Badminton Court
In a singles court, the service and reception areas are delineated by the center line, the inner side line, the short service line, and the lower long service line (the horizontal line).
In doubles courts, the service and reception areas are defined by the center line, the outer side line, the short service line, and the upper long service line.
Specifications for Posts and Nets
The posts used to suspend the net should be 1.55 meters (5.08 feet) in height above the ground and must remain sturdy when the net is tensioned.
In both singles and doubles, the two net posts are positioned along the outer vertical lines. Net posts or supporting structures should not extend beyond the inner longitudinal boundary.
The badminton net measures 760mm (2.49 feet) in width and has a minimum length of 6.1 meters (20 feet). It is suspended from the posts so that the distance from the top of the net to the court surface is 1.55 meters (5.08 feet) at the outer edges and 1.524 meters (5 feet) at the center. It’s important to ensure there is no gap between the top of the net and the post. You can wrap any excess netting around the post to prevent such a gap.
We hope this article has provided you with a better understanding of the size and standards of a badminton court. Knowing the layout and dimensions of a badminton court will help you determine the service area and playing boundaries for each specific category. In addition to badminton, it’s also advisable to engage in other physical activities to improve your overall health.
Johnny Jacks was born in 1985 in Texas, USA. He is the founder of Good Health Plan and is passionate about helping people improve their health and physical well-being. With over a decade of experience working in the healthcare industry, he currently works at Goodheathplan.com – a blog that shares knowledge on beauty and health.