Last updated: August 2026 · Measurements from the BWF Laws of Badminton · Badminton House
| Measurement | Metric | Imperial |
|---|---|---|
| Full length | 13.40 m | 44 ft |
| Width, doubles | 6.10 m | 20 ft |
| Width, singles | 5.18 m | 17 ft |
| Half-court, net to baseline | 6.70 m | 22 ft |
| Singles sideline inset, each side | 0.46 m | 1 ft 6 in |
| Short service line, from net | 1.98 m | 6 ft 6 in |
| Doubles long service line, from back | 0.76 m | 2 ft 6 in |
| Net height at centre | 1.524 m | 5 ft |
| Net height at the sidelines | 1.55 m | 5 ft 1 in |
| Post height | 1.55 m | 5 ft 1 in |
| Line width | 40 mm | about 1.57 in |
| Diagonal | 14.723 m | 48 ft 4 in |
| Area, doubles | 81.74 m² | 880 ft² |
| Area, singles | 69.41 m² | 748 ft² |
One court serves both formats. Singles and doubles use the same rectangle — the difference is which lines are live, not the size of the court.
Badminton Court Size in Feet
The BWF publishes the Laws in metric, so the imperial figures are conversions and land on convenient round numbers by design.
44 ft long by 20 ft wide for doubles, narrowing to 17 ft wide for singles. Each half is 22 ft from the net to the baseline. The net is 5 ft at the centre and 5 ft 1 in at the posts.
A full doubles court occupies 880 square feet of floor, before you add any run-off space around it.
What Each Line Does
| Line | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Back boundary line | The rear edge of the court in every format. It doubles as the long service line for singles. |
| Doubles long service line | 0.76 m inside the back line. A doubles serve must land on it or on the net side of it. It has no effect once the rally is under way. |
| Short service line | 1.98 m from the net. Every serve must land on it or beyond it. |
| Centre line | Splits each half into left and right service courts. Only relevant to serving. |
| Singles sideline | The inner side line, 0.46 m in from the outer one. The court boundary in singles. |
| Doubles sideline | The outer side line. The court boundary in doubles — and where the posts stand, in both formats. |
Two rules that decide arguments. Lines are 40 mm wide and count as part of the area they define, so a shuttle touching any part of a line is in. And the Laws say lines should preferably be white or yellow, which is why courts marked in other colours for multi-sport halls can be genuinely confusing.
Note also that the service courts as measured include their boundary lines, which is why our figures differ slightly from sources quoting the clear space inside the lines.
If a line call is what brought you here, see our guide on whether a shuttle on the line is in or out.
Singles vs Doubles: Which Lines Are Live
| Singles | Doubles | |
|---|---|---|
| Side boundary in a rally | Inner (singles) sideline | Outer (doubles) sideline |
| Rear boundary in a rally | Back boundary line | Back boundary line |
| Service court, wide | Narrow — singles sideline | Wide — doubles sideline |
| Service court, deep | Deep — to the back line | Shallow — to the long service line |
The easy way to remember it: the singles service court is long and thin; the doubles service court is short and wide. During rallies, both formats use the full length; singles remains narrower.
How Much Ceiling Height Does a Court Need?
The Laws of Badminton do not specify a minimum ceiling height. There is no rule to cite, which is why answers online vary so much. What exists instead is facility design guidance, and it is worth knowing because it is what venues actually build to:
| Level of play | Clear height above the court |
|---|---|
| Recreational | 6.7 m (about 22 ft) |
| Competition | 7.5–9 m |
| International standard | At least 9 m, preferably 12 m |
“Clear height” means below any beam, light fitting or ducting, not to the underside of the roof. A hall with a 9 m roof and pipework at 6 m is a 6 m hall in practice.
Run-off space matters just as much and is more often wrong: allow a minimum of 2 m behind each baseline and 1.5 m at the sides to a wall or the next court, and about 1.2 m between dividing nets.
Two other conditions worth knowing when a hall plays badly: lighting of 300–500 lux is normal for club play against about 1000 lux for international, and air movement should be below roughly 0.1 m/s — above that, the draught starts moving the shuttle. Our guide to how court conditions change play goes further.
Common Questions
What are the dimensions of a badminton court?
13.40 m by 6.10 m for doubles (44 ft by 20 ft), narrowing to 5.18 m (17 ft) wide for singles. The net is 1.524 m high at the centre.
Is the badminton court the same size for singles and doubles?
The court is the same; the live lines differ. Singles uses the narrower inner sidelines, doubles the outer ones. Service court depth works the opposite way round.
How high is a badminton net?
1.524 m (5 ft) at the centre and 1.55 m (5 ft 1 in) where it meets the posts. The posts themselves are 1.55 m and stand on the doubles sidelines in both formats.
How wide are the lines?
40 mm, and each line counts as part of the area it defines. A shuttle touching any part of a line is in.
What ceiling height do you need for badminton?
The Laws set no minimum. Facility guidance is about 6.7 m clear for recreational play, 7.5–9 m for competition and at least 9 m for international standard.
How much space do you need around a court?
At least 2 m behind each baseline and 1.5 m at the sides, to a wall or the neighbouring court.
Learning the rules? See our guides to line calls and how singles and doubles differ.
Leave a comment
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.