Badminton court dimensions: size, lines, net height and space needed
Whether you’re taping out a court in a school gym, checking a hall before booking it for a tournament or just settling an argument about the service line, these are the official measurements from the Laws of Badminton, in metres and in feet, with a diagram you can measure from.
The short answer: a badminton court is 13.40 m × 6.10 m (44 × 20 ft) for doubles and 13.40 m × 5.18 m (44 × 17 ft) for singles. The net is 1.55 m (5 ft 1 in) high at the posts and 1.524 m (5 ft) in the middle. Allow about 17.4 × 9.1 m of floor per court once you add space to move around it.
The badminton court at a glance
Seen from above, a court is a rectangle split in half by the net, with five sets of lines. Every measurement is taken to the outside edge of the lines, and the lines are part of the court: a shuttle that lands on one is in.
Every badminton court measurement, metric and imperial
The Laws of Badminton are written in metric. The imperial figures below are the ones used on US and older UK courts, rounded the way court-marking companies round them.
| Measurement | Metres | Feet |
|---|---|---|
| Court length (back line to back line) | 13.40 m | 44 ft |
| Doubles width (outer side lines) | 6.10 m | 20 ft |
| Singles width (inner side lines) | 5.18 m | 17 ft |
| Side alley (between singles and doubles side lines) | 0.46 m | 1 ft 6 in |
| Net to back line (half court) | 6.70 m | 22 ft |
| Net to short service line | 1.98 m | 6 ft 6 in |
| Back line to doubles long service line | 0.76 m | 2 ft 6 in |
| Short service line to back line (singles service length) | 4.72 m | 15 ft 6 in |
| Doubles service court | 3.96 × 3.05 m | 13 × 10 ft |
| Singles service court | 4.72 × 2.59 m | 15 ft 6 in × 8 ft 6 in |
| Diagonal, full doubles court | 14.723 m | 48 ft 4 in |
| Diagonal, full singles court | 14.366 m | 47 ft 2 in |
| Line width | 40 mm | 1½ in |
| Playing area, doubles | 81.7 m² | 880 sq ft |
The two diagonals are the numbers to check when you mark a court yourself. If both diagonals of the doubles court measure 14.723 m, the court is square. The court set-up guide walks through it.
Singles vs doubles: which lines count
One court serves both games. What changes is which lines are “in”, and the difference is bigger for the serve than for the rally.
| Singles | Doubles | |
|---|---|---|
| During the rally | Inner side lines, outer back line | Outer side lines, outer back line |
| On the serve | Long and narrow: short service line to the back line, inside the singles side line | Short and wide: short service line to the doubles long service line, out to the doubles side line |
| Court size in play | 13.40 × 5.18 m | 13.40 × 6.10 m |
The serve rule catches out new doubles players: the doubles long service line, 0.76 m in from the back, is only used for the serve. Once the rally starts, the whole court back to the back line is in.
Badminton net height and posts
- Height: the top of the net is 1.524 m (5 ft) above the floor at the centre of the court and 1.55 m (5 ft 1 in) over the doubles side lines. The 2.6 cm sag in the middle is allowed for.
- Posts: 1.55 m high, standing on the doubles side lines, even when you play singles.
- Net: 760 mm (2 ft 6 in) deep and at least 6.10 m wide, of dark, fine cord with a mesh of 15–20 mm.
- Top tape: 75 mm white tape, doubled over the cord or cable that holds the net up.
- No gaps: the ends of the net are tied to the posts, with no gap between net and post.
Measure from the floor to the top of the tape at the centre line. If it reads well under 1.52 m, tighten the cord at the posts; most portable sets sag after a few hours of play.
Line width and colour
All lines are 40 mm (about 1½ in) wide and should be easy to tell apart from the floor, ideally white or yellow. In multi-sport halls, where badminton lines share the floor with basketball and volleyball, they are usually the white set. When you tape a court yourself, 40 or 50 mm vinyl floor-marking tape is the right width.
How much space a badminton court needs
A court needs more floor than its lines. Players lunge past the side lines and run back for high clears, so the space around a court (the run-off) matters as much as the court itself. Sport England’s sports hall guidance, which Badminton England endorses, recommends:
| Level of play | Behind back lines | Beside side lines | Between courts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community and club | 2.0 m | 1.5 m | 1.5 m |
| Premier / national league | 2.0 m | 1.5 m | 1.5 m |
| International | 2.0 m | 2.0 m | 2.0 m |
That makes one club court, with its run-off, 17.40 × 9.10 m (about 57 × 30 ft). Courts placed side by side share the gap between them, so each extra court adds 7.6 m of hall width:
| Courts side by side | Hall floor needed |
|---|---|
| 1 court | 17.40 × 9.10 m |
| 2 courts | 17.40 × 16.70 m |
| 3 courts | 17.40 × 24.30 m |
| 4 courts (the typical leisure-centre sports hall) | 17.40 × 31.90 m |
| 5 courts | 17.40 × 39.50 m |
If courts are separated by dividing nets or curtains, leave more room: Sport England allows 2.4–2.6 m between courts with a net hung between them. For a tournament, also find room for a scoring desk, bags and players waiting their turn; they should never sit inside the run-off.
Ceiling height, lighting and floor
Ceiling height
High clears and lobs are what limit a low hall. The clear height is measured from the floor to the lowest beam, light or duct above the court:
- Community and recreational play: at least 6.7 m (22 ft)
- Club competition: 7.5 m (24 ft 7 in)
- Premier and international: 9 m (29 ft 6 in), with 12 m preferred for major events
Casual games work under a lower ceiling, but agree a “let” rule before you start for shuttles that hit the roof.
Lighting
Sport England recommends 500 lux for community, club and premier courts and 1,000 lux for international play, evenly spread. Placement matters as much as brightness: lights should hang over the gaps between courts, not over the court or the 2 m behind each back line, where players look up for the shuttle. Screen bright windows too; low sun across a court is blinding.
Floor, walls and air
- Floor: a sprung or cushioned sports floor (wood or vinyl over a shock-absorbing base). Concrete is hard on knees and ankles.
- Walls: plain and darker than the shuttle, ideally green or blue, so a white shuttle stands out.
- Air: turn off fans and close doors near courts. Shuttles drift in the lightest draught, which is why badminton is an indoor sport.
- Temperature: around 16 °C (61 °F) is ideal for players and shuttle speed.
Badminton vs pickleball and tennis courts
A badminton doubles court and a pickleball court have the same footprint, 44 × 20 ft, which is why community halls often mark both on one floor. The lines inside are different, and the pickleball net is much lower (36 in at the sides, 34 in in the middle). A tennis court is far bigger: 78 × 36 ft for doubles, more than three times the area of a badminton court.
Got the court sorted and thinking about running an event on it? Read how to organise a badminton tournament, or how to set up a court if you’re starting from a bare floor.
Frequently asked questions
What are the dimensions of a badminton court?
A badminton court is 13.40 m long and 6.10 m wide for doubles (44 × 20 ft). The singles court is the same length but 5.18 m wide (17 ft). Measurements are taken to the outside edges of the lines.
How high is a badminton net?
The top of the net is 1.524 m (5 ft) above the floor at the centre of the court and 1.55 m (5 ft 1 in) at the posts, which stand on the doubles side lines for both singles and doubles.
Is a badminton court the same size for singles and doubles?
The length is the same, 13.40 m. Singles uses the inner side lines, so the court is 5.18 m wide instead of 6.10 m. In doubles the long service line sits 0.76 m inside the back line, so a doubles serve must land shorter than a singles serve.
How much space do you need for a badminton court?
Allow about 17.4 × 9.1 m (57 × 30 ft) per court: 2 m behind each back line and 1.5 m beside each side line, per Sport England’s guidance. Side-by-side courts can share the 1.5 m between them.
What ceiling height does badminton need?
Sport England recommends at least 6.7 m clear above the court for community play, 7.5 m for club competition and 9 m for premier and international events. Lower ceilings work for casual games but clip high clears and lobs.
Are the lines part of the court in badminton?
Yes. The 40 mm lines are part of the area they mark out, so a shuttle that lands on a line is in. That is also why court measurements are taken to the outside edges of the lines.