Badminton Court Dimensions: Official Size, Interactive Diagram & Layout Planner

Official Badminton Court Measurements

A regulation badminton court measures 44 feet long by 20 feet wide (13.40m × 6.10m) for doubles play, giving a total area of 880 square feet. For singles, the width narrows to 17 feet (5.18m) while the length stays the same, reducing the playing area to 748 square feet. The 1.5-foot strip on each side between the singles and doubles sidelines is only in play during doubles matches.

The court is divided into two equal halves of 22 feet each by the net, which stands 5 feet 1 inch (1.55m) high at the outer edges and 5 feet (1.524m) at the center — a slight dip of approximately 1 inch from post to center. All boundary lines are 40mm (approximately 1.6 inches) wide and are typically white or yellow.

These specifications are set by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and apply universally across recreational, national, and international competition. The dimensions are identical to a pickleball court in length and width (for doubles), which is why many multi-sport facilities share the same floor markings for both sports.

Service Courts

Each half of the court is divided into left and right service courts by the center line. For doubles, the service court measures approximately 10 feet wide by 13 feet deep (from the short service line to the long service line). For singles, the service court extends the full depth from the short service line to the back boundary line (15.5 feet), but narrows to 8.5 feet wide (half of the 17-foot singles width).

Short Service Line

The short service line sits 6 feet 6 inches (1.98m) from the net on each side. Serves must clear this line to be legal — a serve that lands between the net and the short service line is a fault.

Long Service Line (Doubles Only)

In doubles play, a secondary back line sits 2 feet 6 inches (0.76m) in from the baseline. Doubles serves that land beyond this line (in the 2.5-foot rear strip) are a fault. This rule does not apply in singles, where serves can land anywhere between the short service line and the baseline.

Net Specifications

The net is 5 feet 1 inch (1.55m) at the posts and 5 feet (1.524m) at center. Posts are placed on the doubles sidelines, even during singles play. The net itself must be 2 feet 6 inches (0.76m) deep and made of fine cord with a mesh of 15-20mm. The top edge is bound by a 3-inch (75mm) white tape.

Ceiling Height and Clearance Requirements

Badminton has the strictest vertical clearance requirements of any racket sport because of the shuttlecock’s high flight trajectory. The BWF mandates a minimum ceiling height of 39 feet (12m) for international tournament venues. For national competitions, 30 feet (9m) is generally accepted. For recreational play, a ceiling of 24 feet is workable but will restrict high clears and smashes.

Horizontal clearance around the court should be at least 2 feet (0.61m) from any wall or obstacle per BWF minimum standards, though many national federations recommend 2 meters (6.5 feet) for safety. Between adjacent courts in a multi-court facility, maintain at least 2 meters of separation to prevent player collisions.

Badminton vs Pickleball Court Size

Badminton and pickleball share identical doubles court dimensions: 20 feet wide by 44 feet long. This overlap makes it practical for facilities to mark both sports on the same surface with different line colors. The key differences are net height (badminton’s 5’1” vs pickleball’s 3’), required ceiling clearance (badminton needs much more), and the fact that badminton is typically played indoors while pickleball thrives both indoors and outdoors.

If your facility hosts both sports, a shared floor with colored line differentiation (white for badminton, blue for pickleball) and adjustable net systems can accommodate both without conflict. Court booking software like PlayRez can manage multi-sport scheduling on shared courts.

Frequently Asked Questions

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