Para Badminton Court Size by Class: Half Court or Full

Last checked: August 2026 · Written by the player-led team at Badminton House

The phrase “half court” needs one more question: half court for which event? Wheelchair singles and SL3 singles both use a 3.05 m lateral half, measured from the centre line to an outer doubles sideline. Their front rally boundaries and rear service limits are different, so copying one setup for the other would produce the wrong court.

This guide follows the BWF Laws of Badminton, Version 5.0 (2), in force 26 April 2025, which remained current when checked on 21 August 2026. BWF has also issued Version 6.0 with an effective date of 4 January 2027. Until that date, it is a future revision rather than the current law.

Use the sport class shown by the player’s formal classification or official event listing. Court geometry does not provide a way to classify somebody, and a class should never be assigned from a diagnosis or observation. For the class labels themselves, read our WH1-to-SH6 para badminton classification guide.

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Which court does each para badminton class use?

Choose the court from both the class and the event. WH1 and WH2 are distinct sport classes but use the same wheelchair court layouts. SL3 changes the singles court only. SL4, SU5 and SH6 use standard singles boundaries, and every standing doubles event uses standard doubles boundaries.

BWF materials identify WH1, WH2, SL3, SL4, SU5 and SH6 as the six sport classes. The current BWF Laws assign wheelchair play to Diagrams D and E, SL3 singles to Diagram F, and all other standing play to standard Diagram A.

The table shows rally boundaries, not service courts. In wheelchair singles, the strip behind the doubles long service line is in during a rally but out on serve. In both wheelchair formats, the forecourt between the net and short service line remains out during rallies.

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How do wheelchair rally and service boundaries differ?

WH1 and WH2 singles use the same half-width court. During a rally, the legal area runs from the short service line to the back boundary. For service, the legal area ends sooner at the doubles long service line. Wheelchair doubles uses full width during rallies and standard doubles service boxes.

The practical rally rule is easy to see once the short service line is treated as a front boundary. In wheelchair singles and doubles, the 1.98 m strip between the net and that line is outside the rally area. A shuttle landing on the correct short service line counts as landing on the boundary because court lines form part of the area they define.

The rear boundary changes by phase in wheelchair singles. A serve must land no farther than the doubles long service line, which sits 0.76 m inside the back boundary. Once the serve has been returned, the strip between that long service line and the back boundary is part of the rally court. These distinctions follow BWF Diagrams D and E.

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How is SL3 half court different from wheelchair half court?

SL3 singles uses the same 3.05 m lateral half as wheelchair singles, but it keeps the forecourt and full net-to-back rally depth. Its service court begins at the short service line and reaches the back boundary. SL4, SU5 and SH6 instead use the standard singles court.

In both layouts, “half” means half of the 6.10 m doubles width. It does not mean half of the narrower 5.18 m standard singles court. Use the centre line as one side boundary and an outer doubles sideline as the other.

SL3’s difference disappears in doubles. SL3, SL4, SU5 and SH6 doubles all use the standard doubles court. For singles, SL4, SU5 and SH6 use the standard 13.40 m by 5.18 m singles area. Diagram F and its note show the standing-court distinction.

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How should a club mark and check the court?

Start with the official class and event format, then check lateral, front and rear boundaries separately. Keep rally boundaries distinct from service boundaries. Finish by checking line width and net height, since the current Laws do not specify a lowered net for any para badminton class.

Every correct boundary line counts as part of the area it defines. The important word is correct: a shuttle touching a painted line is not automatically in if that line is inactive for the class, event or phase of play. If the underlying standard markings are unfamiliar, use our badminton court dimensions and lines guide to identify the centre, singles, doubles and service lines first.

The current BWF court laws give one net specification: 1.524 m at centre and 1.55 m over the doubles sidelines. They do not provide a class-specific lower para badminton net.

The simplest accurate setup is therefore a two-part decision. First choose the rally footprint from class plus singles or doubles. Then overlay the correct service court instead of assuming the rally boundary also controls the serve. That distinction keeps WH1 and WH2 wheelchair courts, SL3 half court and the standard standing layouts clear.