Game on Field

Badminton Court Dimensions

Interactive guide to badminton court measurements for singles and doubles play

Court Layout

13.40m
6.10m
Boundary / Long service line (singles)
Short service line
Net
Singles sideline
Court Length13.40 m
Court Width6.10 m
Net Height (Centre)1.55 m
Service Line to Net1.98 m
Back Service Line0.76 m
Service Court Width3.05 m

Singles vs Doubles

  • • Narrower court width: 5.18m (17 ft)
  • • Uses inner side tramlines
  • • Long service line is at the back
  • • More running required
  • • Focus on endurance and coverage
  • • Wider court width: 6.10m (20 ft)
  • • Uses outer side tramlines
  • • Shorter long service line
  • • Less individual coverage needed
  • • Focus on teamwork and positioning

Important Notes

Net Height: The net should be 1.55m (5 ft 1 inch) at the edges and 1.524m (5 ft) in the center due to tension.

Playing Area: Ensure there's adequate space around the court — minimum 2m on sides and 2.5m at the ends for safe play.

Court Surface: Professional courts use wooden sprung floors or synthetic mats. Surface should provide good grip and shock absorption.

Lighting: Proper lighting is crucial. Minimum 500 lux at floor level for recreational play, 750+ for competitive matches.

Line Width: All lines should be 40mm wide and preferably white or yellow for visibility.

Badminton courts are standardised by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and measure 13.4 metres long by 6.1 metres wide for doubles play. For singles, the court is the same length but only 5.18 metres wide — the outer side tramlines are out of bounds in singles. This is the opposite of tennis, where the full width is used in singles and additional alleys appear for doubles.

The net is set at 1.55 metres at the posts and 1.524 metres at the centre — just 2.6cm of sag — making it nearly level across the full width. This near-horizontal net and the high shuttlecock trajectory make badminton unique among net sports. The service courts are clearly divided: in singles, the right service court for even scores, left for odd — a rule that catches many beginners off guard.

Badminton is the fastest racket sport in the world, with professional shuttle speeds exceeding 400 km/h after a smash — faster than any other racket sport. Despite the small court size, elite badminton players cover an estimated 6–9km per match with extremely fast directional changes, making it one of the most aerobically demanding racket sports.

Court Length
13.4 m (43.96 ft)
Doubles Width
6.1 m (20 ft)
Singles Width
5.18 m (17 ft)
Net Height (post)
1.55 m (5.08 ft)
Net Height (centre)
1.524 m (5 ft)
Short Service Line
1.98 m from net
1
Court Type: Select Singles or Doubles — affects court width (5.18m vs 6.1m) and valid service areas.
2
Unit: Toggle between metres and feet.
3
Service courts: The diagram shows which service courts are valid for each player position and score.

Key Court Zones

  • • Short service line: 1.98m from net — serve must land beyond this
  • • Long service line (doubles): 0.76m inside baseline — serve must land before
  • • Back alley: 0.76m at back — in play for rallies, restricted for serves
  • • Side tramlines: 0.46m each side — in doubles only, out in singles
  • • Mid-court: Net to short service area — most contested zone
Source: Badminton World Federation (BWF) Laws of Badminton 2023; BWF Court and Equipment Regulations; Badminton England Court Specifications

Badminton's court width flips depending on whether you're serving or rallying, and on whether it's singles or doubles — the tramlines are in for doubles rallies but out for doubles serves, while singles uses the opposite combination. It's one of the more counter-intuitive rulesets in racket sports, which is exactly why new players so often get called for a fault they didn't realise was even a boundary.

Combined with the near-flat net (barely 2.6cm of sag from post to centre, compared to tennis's much more pronounced dip), the court geometry is built around speed and precision rather than margin for error — there's very little room to mishit a serve short or wide and still have it count, which is part of why badminton service faults are called so frequently even among experienced club players.

In badminton, the side tramlines (outer 0.46m on each side) are OUT in singles but IN during doubles rallies. However, for doubles SERVICE, the back tramline (back 0.76m) is OUT, while in singles service, the full length is valid. This combination of rules means singles and doubles use different effective court dimensions, which is the reverse of the intuitive expectation. It reflects the different tactical demands of 1v1 versus 2v2 play.

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