What are the exact measurements of a badminton court?

See the exact badminton court measurements for both single and doubles.

2563

Have you wondered about the exact badminton court measurements for an indoor court? This article will give you all the answers you need.

You might also be interested in this short badminton terminology lesson – just so you know how to describe the different areas of a badminton court.

Badminton court measurements – visual

Badminton court terminology
An indoor badminton court nowadays must fulfill certain dimensions. It wasn’t always like that. In the early days of badminton, the dimensions would vary depending on which badminton hall people played at. In fact, there are many stories about how, if the available floor space wasn’t big enough for a badminton court, the wall would become part of the court.

Thankfully, that’s hardly the case in modern badminton.

The badminton court measurements in use today are for the rectangular court. The rectangular court dimensions have been the official badminton court dimensions since 1901.

Prior to the rectangular court being the official and correct court measurement, a court shaped like an hourglass was used for badminton. It has been suggested that this unusual hourglass shape developed so the game could be played in Victorian salons, large rooms with doors that opened inward on both sides. (more on badminton history here)

The total badminton court measurements, which is what is used for doubles and mixed doubles, is
– 13.4 meters long (44 feet)
– 6.1 meters wide (20 feet)

For singles, the correct measurement is:
– 13.4 meters long (44 feet)
– 5.2 meters wide (17 feet)

The badminton net must be 1.5 meters high (5 feet). And there must be a clear space of 1.3 meters around the court to all sides.

To run one kilometer on a badminton court, you must run the full length of the court 75 times or 37.5 round trips.

And for beginners, here is a silly, but useful tip:

– When you play singles refer to the badminton court measurements as long and thin
– When you play doubles refer to the court dimensions as long and fat

We mention this only because we know that many beginners have difficulty remembering “which-is-which”.