How to set up a badminton court: marking the lines, the net and the hall

What you need

Keep the badminton court dimensions open on your phone while you work; every number below comes from there.

Step 1: Pick the spot

• Floor space: 17.4 × 9.1 m for one court. That is the 13.40 × 6.10 m court plus 2 m behind each back line and 1.5 m along each side.
• Height: at least 6.7 m clear above the court for social play, 7.5 m for club matches. Look up: beams, basketball hoops and hanging lights all count.
• Light: avoid placing a back line under a light or in front of a bright window. Players look straight up for high shots.
• Air: stay away from doors, fans and heater outlets. A draught moves a shuttle more than you’d expect.
• Existing lines: if the floor already has a straight line (a basketball side line, a wall edge), use it as the reference for your first side line.

Step 2: Mark a square 13.40 × 6.10 m rectangle

Everything depends on this rectangle being square, so take your time here.

1. First side line. Pull the tape 13.40 m along your reference line. Put a masking-tape mark at each end. These are corners A and B.
2. The far corners. From A and from B, measure 6.10 m out at roughly a right angle and mark corners C and D.
3. Check the diagonals. Measure A to D and B to C. On a square court both are 14.723 m. If one is longer, shift C and D sideways together until the two match, then re-check the 6.10 m and 13.40 m sides.
4. Tape the outer lines. Run tape between the corners, laying it on the inside of your marks. Measurements go to the outer edge of a line, and the line counts as part of the court.

Step 3: Add the inner lines

Lines belong to the area they mark. So for every line, the tape goes on the side of your mark that faces into that area. In practice:

1. Find the net line. Mark the halfway point, 6.70 m from each back line, on both side lines. There is no line under the net; these marks are where the posts go.
2. Singles side lines. Mark 0.46 m in from the outer edge of each doubles side line, at both ends, and tape the full 13.40 m with the tape on the inner side of the marks.
3. Short service lines. Measure 1.98 m from the net line towards each back line. Tape across the full width, on the side of the mark away from the net.
4. Doubles long service lines. Measure 0.76 m in from the outer edge of each back line. Tape across the full width, on the side of the mark towards the net.
5. Centre lines. At 3.05 m from either side line, run a line from each short service line back to the back line, centred on the mark. It splits each half into left and right service courts.

That makes twelve lines: two doubles side lines, two singles side lines, two back lines, two doubles long service lines, two short service lines, and the two centre lines.

Step 4: Put up the net

1. Posts on the doubles side lines, at the halfway marks, for singles too. With weighted portable posts, the base sits outside the court and the upright stands on the line.
2. Attach the net and pull the top cord tight. Tie the ends to the posts so there’s no gap at the sides.
3. Set the height: 1.55 m (5 ft 1 in) at the posts. The middle should then sit at about 1.524 m (5 ft). If it’s lower than that, tighten the cord.

Step 5: Check it

• Both diagonals of the doubles court: 14.723 m.
• Both diagonals of the singles court (inner side lines): 14.366 m.
• Net to each short service line: 1.98 m on both sides.
• Tape flat, with no lifted edges a shoe could catch.
• Hit a few high clears from each back line. If the shuttle touches anything overhead, agree a house rule (usually a let) before matches start.

Setting up a hall for a tournament

With more than one court, the gaps matter as much as the courts. Courts sit side by side with 1.5 m between them, and each extra court adds 7.6 m to the width of hall you need. A typical four-court sports hall is about 31.9 × 17.4 m.

Tournament-day layout checklist

• Number every court with a large sign at the net post that you can read from the desk.
• Put the desk where it sees every court, usually along one long side. That’s where players report, shuttles are handed out and results come in.
• Make a waiting area for the players on next, close to the courts but outside the run-off.
• Keep bags, chairs and spectators out of the 2 m behind each back line. That’s where players run for high clears.
• Plan the order of play per court. Players should know which court they’re on and how many matches are ahead of them.

The last point is where most club tournaments lose time. GameOnn spreads the draw across however many courts you have and keeps a queue for each one, so the desk, the players and anyone following online see what’s on now and what’s next. More on that in how to organise a badminton tournament.

Can you set up a badminton court outdoors?

You can mark a court on any flat, hard surface with chalk or outdoor tape, and a garden set is fine for fun. Wind is the problem: a feather shuttle is pushed around by the slightest breeze, so outdoor play needs heavier outdoor shuttles. For organised outdoor play, the Badminton World Federation’s AirBadminton format has its own court layout and a wind-resistant shuttle.

For anything competitive, play indoors. If you don’t have a hall of your own, our guide to finding badminton near you covers booking a court.