Badminton Court Dimensions

The dimensions of a badminton court are mandated by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and are universally accepted. These measurements have remained unchanged since they were established in 1934.

Badminton is typically played on hardwood floors or synthetic rubber mats made specifically for badminton. The court measures 44feet long and 20 feet wide and is divided by a net into two identical halves.The standard court contains lines for both singles and doubles play. Double splay is designated by the outside lines, while singles uses the base line and inner side line. The doubles court is the same length as the singles court, but the outer side line makes it 18 inches wider.

All lines are standardized to be 1.57 inches in width.This measurement is essential because the lines are considered part of the court. If the shuttle cock touches any part of the line when it lands, the shot is considered to be in bounds.

Base line: This is the back line on both ends that runs parallel to the net and measures 20 feet, the width of the court.

Center line: This runs perpendicular to the net and down the middle of each side, measuring 13 feet. The center line separates the two service boxes.

Doubles sideline: This line, along with the baseline,forms the outer boundary lines for the court. It runs 44 feet perpendicular tothe net.

Singles sideline: This runs along the inside of the doubles sideline and parallel to it. The line measures 44 feet and design at the singles court along with the baseline.

Short service line: This line covers the width of the court and is the closest line that runs parallel to the net.

Doubles long service line: This designates the back service line for doubles and spans the width of the court.

Badminton Court Areas

Service box: The right and left service box are identical in size. They are used to designate the service area for the server and receiver. The singles service box is 15.5 feet long and 10 feet wide, while the doubles service box is 13 feet long and 10 feet wide.

Alley: This is the area between the singles and doubles sideline that is 44 feet long and 1.5 feet wide. This area is considered outside of the boundaries for singles games.

Net: The net is fastened to two poles sitting on both doubles sidelines. The net should be 2.5 feet tall and 20 feet wide. The height of the net should be 5 feet and 1 inch at the poles and 5 feet at the center of the net.

Ceiling Height: There is no mention in the badminton rule book about a minimum ceiling height required for a badminton court, but gyms will typically allow at least 30 feet of clearance. Usually, a shuttle cock coming in contact with the ceiling is out of bounds, but the rules will vary from gym to gym.

Although the measurements of a badminton court are standardized, the colors of the lines and the surrounding environment are not.This may not seem significant, but playing with an object as small as a shuttlecock traveling close to 200 miles per hour can be difficult on the eyes.There is no real solution when dealing with poor color schemes, but you should at least expect to face them from time to time.