Originally posted by kwun
in most cases, landing in the surroundings of the double service baseline is sufficient...Click to expand...
An understanding of the lines of a badminton court is fundamental to understanding the rules. In this section, we will look at the dimensions of each line, where they are placed on a standard doubles badminton court and how they relate to the sport’s rules.
In singles matches, during service, the shuttlecock must land within the singles sideline and the baseline; on the opposite side of the court. For example, when a service is taken from the right hand side, the shuttlecock must travel diagonally over the next, into the left hand side of the opponent’s side of the court.
If a shuttlecock lands beyond the baseline, it is considered out of play in both singles and doubles.
The baselines represent the perimeter of the court’s length and run the full width of a regulation court (20.00ft/13.41m).
The baselines, also known as the “singles back service line” are set out at the left and right end of each side of the court.
The sidelines for singles matches, or the “inner sidelines” set the width of the court - 5.18m (17.00ft), for singles matches. The inner sidelines are 0.46m (1.50ft) inside the outer sidelines and run parallel to the doubles sidelines. Any shot that lands outside this sideline is considered “out of play” during a singles match.
The outer sidelines are sometimes referred to as “outer tramlines” or “doubles sidelines”. On a regulation badminton court, the outer sidelines will run the full 13.41m /44.00ft length of the court. The outer sidelines are marked 5.18m (17.00ft) apart and run parallel to one another. Any shot that lands inside the doubles sideline is considered “in” or valid for doubles matches. If the shuttlecock lands outside the outer sideline in doubles, it is considered out of play.
When serving in doubles, the back line of the service area is actually shorter than in singles. The doubles service line is marked out 76cm (2.5ft) from the baseline. The doubles back service line runs parallel to the baseline and like the baseline, runs the full width of the court.
The short service line is the closest parallel line to the net and runs the full width of the court from one outer sideline to the other. It is usually marked out relative to the net, at a distance of 1.98m (6.50ft) on either side.
The short service lines are also 3.96m (13.00ft) from the doubles back service line and 4.72m (15.50ft) from the baseline on each side of the court. In both doubles and singles, a serve must land beyond the short service line to be in play. This is to prevent players from executing “drop shots” during a serve.
The centre line runs down the middle of the court, from the short service line to the baseline on either side of the court.
The centre line acts as a border between the left and right service areas.
The singles service area is sometimes referred to as “long and thin”. The service area is from the centreline to the inner sideline and runs back from the short service line to the baseline of the court on the opposite side of the net to the server.
In singles, the “right service court”, is the space between the centre line and the inner sideline on the right in terms of its width, and is the length of the short service line to the baseline.
The “left service court”, is marked out between the centre line and the inner sideline on the left in terms of its width, and runs the length from the short service line to the baseline.
The left and right singles service areas are both 2.59m (8.5ft) wide and 4.72m (15.5ft) long.
The total surface area of each singles service area is 12.22m² (131.53ft²).
The doubles service area is “short and wide” relative to the singles service area.
In doubles, the “right service court”, is marked out by the width of the centreline to the outer sideline on the right hand side of the opponent’s side of the court, and extends from the short service line to the doubles back service line.
The “left service court”, is the width of the centreline to the outer sideline on the left hand side of the opponent’s side of the court, and runs the length from the short service line to the doubles back service line on the same side.
The left and right doubles service areas are both 3.05m (10ft) wide and 3.96m (13ft) long. The individual surface area of each doubles service area is 12.08m² (130.02ft²).
There are various materials used to create the surface of a badminton court. All major tournaments use synthetic materials for the court’s surface, usually a form of PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) or PU (polyurethane).
The different types of badminton courts and badminton court materials are listed below:
Synthetic badminton courts are widely considered the best for a variety of reasons. Whilst the court's surface is usually made from PVC or PU, at the amateur level, they are usually laid onto wooden floors like those found in indoor sports halls or basketball courts. Whilst it is possible to play directly on a sports hall floor, synthetic flooring is much safer. Suitable PVC or PU badminton court surfaces are anti-slip, and softer than wood, making them kinda on the joints and reducing any impacts that might occur with falls or diving shots.
If you are looking to install a synthetic badminton court surface over an existing sports hall floor, look out for synthetic badminton court tiles that meet BWF specifications.
Laying a synthetic material on top of a wooden sports hall floor gives players the benefits of a cushioned wooden floor and an anti-slip synthetic material which also adds an additional level of shock absorption.
Wooden courts are commonly used across the UK. Whilst wooden floors are acceptable for most levels of play, they can be slippy compared to synthetic surfaces, especially if players are playing intensely and start to sweat.
Most wooden floors are custom-made for sports halls and should provide an adequate level of shock absorption reducing the strain on lower body joints during play. Wooden courts will usually need to be polished regularly and don’t provide the same level of grip and support that is provided when a synthetic court surface is installed on top of it.
You can mark out a badminton court on any sports hall with anti-slip rubber line markers such as the Vermont Badminton Court Lines.
The majority of tennis courts in the UK are made from porous asphalt. Anti-slip paint or treatment is usually applied to asphalt tennis courts, which often double as badminton courts. The density of the material means that players are more likely to pick up injuries during play.
Asphalt courts can be less expensive than some other badminton court surfaces, and the material is durable enough to use for outdoor courts. Playing regularly on asphalt is not recommended however, as the hard surface can make it relatively common and easy to pick up repetitive strain injuries to the ankles, knees and hips.
In the Olympics and badminton World Championships, badminton courts are usually green. However, the Badminton World Federation (BWF), does not specify which colour badminton courts should be and many courts are blue, red or made using natural timber with a transparent seal. The flooring should not create any glare that could impede the vision of players and a light reflectance value of 0.2 - 0.4 is recommended.
It is also recommended that indoor badminton courts should be within a building that has interior walls painted a dark colour, to make it easier to see the white shuttlecock.
The lines on the court should be “easily distinguishable” from the court’s surface and are typically painted either white or yellow.
It is possible to play badminton on a tennis court if you have some way of marking the court lines. If you are using a permanent or semi-permanent method to mark out a badminton court, remember to seek permission from the court owner or manager. Temporary court line markers are often the best option.
The main issue with playing badminton on a tennis court is that the net is much higher in badminton. If the tennis court has a freestanding or portable tennis net, and you have a portable badminton net, then it should be fairly straightforward to move them around and place the badminton net across the middle of the court. Many tennis courts, however, use socketed posts and nets that are much more difficult to move.
A pickleball court is the same size as a doubles badminton court, but the lines and nets are different. You can learn more about pickleball courts vs badminton courts in our pickleball court guide found here.
Mini badminton is designed for junior players and uses a smaller court and lower net to suit the physical size and abilities of children. With a smaller court and lower net, junior players will tend to find badminton more enjoyable and less frustrating.
Unlike mini tennis, mini badminton isn’t a regulated sport, so parents and coaches can adjust the size of the court and the height of the net to suit the needs of the players.
The specifications outlined in the table below for mini badminton will tend to suit children aged 6 to 10 years old:
Badminton Court & Mini Badminton Court Comparison Sport Court Length Court Width Surface Area Net Height (at sides) Badminton 13.41m (44.00ft) 6.10m (20.00ft) 81.80m² (880.00ft²) 1.55m (5.09ft) Mini Badminton 8.00m (26.25ft) 4.00m (13.12ft) 32.00m² (344.45ft²) 1.40m (4.60ft)