A badminton court is smaller than most people expect: 13.40 m long and 6.10 m wide (44 ft by 20 ft), the same footprint for singles and doubles. What changes between the two games is which lines are in. This guide gives the official measurements, explains what each line does, and then looks at the part the rulebook does not cover: what the halls where people actually play look like, using the verified venue records behind The Court Scout.
The official court, line by line
All figures are from the BWF Laws of Badminton (Law 1 and Diagram A) unless stated otherwise.
| Measurement | Metric | Imperial (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Full court length (back boundary to back boundary) | 13.40 m | 44 ft |
| Full court width (doubles sidelines) | 6.10 m | 20 ft |
| Singles width (inside the singles sidelines) | 5.18 m | 17 ft |
| Short service line, from the net | 1.98 m | 6 ft 6 in |
| Doubles long service line, from the back boundary | 0.76 m | 2 ft 6 in |
| Line width (lines are part of the area they mark) | 40 mm | 1.6 in |
| Net height, centre | 1.524 m | 5 ft |
| Net height, at the doubles posts | 1.55 m | 5 ft 1 in |
| Net width / depth | at least 6.1 m / 760 mm | 20 ft / 30 in |
| Diagonal of the full court | 14.723 m | 48 ft 4 in |
The singles width is not printed as a single number in the Laws text; it follows from Diagram A, where the singles sideline sits 460 mm (a 420 mm gap plus the 40 mm line) inside each doubles sideline: 6.10 m minus 2 × 0.46 m gives 5.18 m.
What each line is for
- Back boundary line. The outer edge for both games. In singles it is also the long service line, so a singles serve can be hit all the way to the back.
- Doubles long service line. Sits 0.76 m inside the back boundary. In doubles the serve must land short of it, which is why doubles serves are short and flat while singles serves are lofted deep. See badminton serve technique.
- Short service line. 1.98 m from the net on each side. A serve that lands on or in front of it is a fault, and that is the line doubles players hug when they receive.
- Centre line. Splits the area between the short service line and the back boundary into left and right service courts. Serves go diagonally from one to the other, and which side you serve from depends on your score. Scoring explained covers the rotation.
- Sidelines. The outer (doubles) sideline is in play in doubles and out in singles; the inner (singles) sideline is the opposite. The doubles posts stand on the outer sideline for both games, which is why the net is 1.55 m there and 1.524 m in the middle.
The practical consequence: the shuttle has only 1.98 m between the net and the short service line, so front-court play is fast, and the wide 0.76 m strip along the back is "out" for doubles serves but fully live for rallies. How to play that front court is in badminton net play technique.
What the rulebook does not specify: the room
The Laws define the court, not the building. Two things matter once you are inside a real venue.
Ceiling height. A clear shuttle needs room to travel. The commonly cited international guidance, as summarised by sportscotland's badminton court datasheet from the BWF facility documents, is at least 9 m (about 30 ft) of clear height over the court, preferably 12 m. Treat that as a design benchmark for competition halls, not a law: recreational clubs often sit below it and still run excellent play.
Lighting and background. The BWF specification for international standard facilities asks for 1,000 lux minimum for top-level tournaments, evenly spread and not positioned directly above the court, because a white shuttle against bright fixtures is hard to track. Dark walls behind the courts help for the same reason (BWF Specifications for International Standard Facilities).
What US clubs actually offer
The Court Scout's directory has 144 verified, open US badminton venues (every one indoor; see where to play badminton in the US for the state-by-state map). "Verified" means a key fact was confirmed against the venue's own site, official social profile or Google Business Profile. Few venues publish a ceiling height or floor spec, so the figures below describe the ones that do, not the whole market.
How many courts?
Of the 67 venues that publish a court count, 9 have 1 to 3 courts, 27 have 4 to 8, 19 have 9 to 15, and 12 have 16 or more (median 8). The largest are Bintang Badminton in Fremont, CA (54 courts), Lewisville Badminton Center in Lewisville, TX (28), Synergy Badminton Automall in Fremont (27), Arena Badminton & Sports Club in Pomona, CA (24) and Frisco Badminton Academy in Frisco, TX (20). A badminton court needs only 13.4 × 6.1 m plus run-off, so a school or rec-center gym usually fits only a handful of courts; that is how those rooms end up in the small buckets.
How high are the ceilings?
Five verified venues state a specific ceiling height on their own pages (a sixth, Long Island Badminton Center, says only "high ceilings"):
- Frisco Badminton Academy (TX): 20 courts under 40-foot ceilings (about 12 m, at the preferred international figure).
- Boston Badminton (Westborough, MA): 8 courts, 32-foot-plus ceilings.
- Northern Virginia Badminton Academy (Ashburn, VA): 11 courts, ceilings over 30 feet.
- Brooklyn Badminton Center (Ridgewood, NY): 7 courts, 30-foot ceiling.
- Cardinal Badminton (Englewood, NJ): 6 courts, 28-foot ceilings (about 8.5 m, a little under the 9 m benchmark, which is entirely playable).
Four of the five state 28 to 32 feet or more, so roughly 30 ft is typical of purpose-built clubs that advertise it. In a lower gym, ask how the venue handles shuttles that hit lights or beams before you book.
What are the floors?
Five venues state a surface in their record: Jersey City Badminton Club (wood), Boston Badminton (Robbins maple sports floor), Cardinal Badminton (BWF-approved vinyl), Northern Virginia Badminton Academy (Olympic-level mats) and Jax Sportify in Jacksonville (BWF-approved badminton mats). Others describe theirs in their notes, for example Houston Badminton Center's 12 courts (8 maplewood and 4 BWF-approved mats) and Northwest Badminton Academy's 13 wooden courts. The broad pattern: dedicated clubs use either sprung wood or a roll-out synthetic mat laid over a hard floor. Mats are gentler on knees and ankles than concrete and are what international events use; ask whether the surface is shared with pickleball or basketball, since those floors can be slick or marked up.
Quick checks before you book
- Count the courts you are paying for. A "court rental" at most clubs covers a single court for a block of time, commonly up to 4 to 6 players.
- Ask about ceiling height if you play singles or love clears.
- Ask about the floor if you have a history of knee or ankle problems.
- Check the lines. Multi-sport halls often overlay pickleball or basketball lines on the same floor. Badminton lines should be in a distinct colour; if you cannot tell them apart, tell the venue.
Marking a court yourself
For a driveway or hall, the dimensions above are enough: mark the 13.40 × 6.10 m rectangle, then the short service lines 1.98 m from the net on both sides, the centre lines, the singles sidelines 0.46 m inside the outer ones and the doubles long service lines 0.76 m in from the back. Check your layout with the diagonal: 14.723 m corner to opposite corner confirms it is square. Hang the net so its top is 1.55 m at the posts and 1.524 m at the centre. Outdoor wind makes badminton unplayable on anything but a calm day, so indoor space is the realistic option. For racket choice, see our badminton racket buying guide.
Sources and method
- Court, net and post dimensions: BWF Laws of Badminton, Statutes Section 4.1 (Law 1 and Diagram A, read directly from the document on 2026-10-21; the singles width and the imperial conversions are derived by us).
- Ceiling-height benchmark: sportscotland datasheet 021, badminton court, which summarises BWF guidance. Lighting: BWF Specifications for International Standard Facilities, V1.1. We have not independently re-measured either benchmark.
- Venue figures (court counts, ceiling heights, floors): The Court Scout verified dataset (
data/courts.json), 2026-10-21, US badminton venues withverification_status: verifiedandstatus: open, each sourced to the venue's own website. Facilities change, so confirm with the venue.
Related reading: Badminton rules and scoring, badminton etiquette, singles strategy, doubles strategy and shuttlecocks explained.
