Badminton is a racket (racquet) sport where players hit a shuttlecock over a net to score points. Badminton can be played in either singles (one player per side) or doubles with court sizes adapting for either game style. Points are scored when the shuttlecock lands on the opposing team’s half of the court. Badminton can be played casually outdoors or more formally regulated in indoor courts.
Badminton Court
Badminton courts are rectangular and are divided in half by a centre net. Regardless of the game type, courts are usually marked for both singles and doubles games. Both play styles require the same court length of 44’ | 13.4 m, but double (full) courts are 20’ | 6.1 m wide and single courts are reduced to 17’ | 5.18 m; shrinking by 1.5’ | .46 m on both sides. Service courts are split by a centre line dividing the width of the court and are set back from the net by a ‘short service line’ of 6.5’ | 1.98 m. Doubles games also require a ‘long service line’ that is drawn 2.5’ | .76 m in from the back boundary. Clearances of 2’ | .61 m should be providing around the full court.
Details
Length: 44’ | 13.41 m Width (Full/Doubles): 20’ | 6.1 m Width (Singles): 17’ | 5.18 m Area (Full): 880 ft2 | 81.75 m2 Clearance: 2’ | .61 m around full perimeter
Badminton Net
Badminton nets run the entire width of the court (20’ | 6.1 m) and are placed over the doubles side-lines, even when singles games are played. The net is 5’1” | 1.55 m high at the edges and sags slightly at the Center resulting in a height of 5’ | 1.52 m. Badminton nets are split into a 1:1 ratio from the floor to the top providing a 2.5’ | .76 m opening below and an equal mesh surface above. Variations of badminton nets come in polyethylene, nylon, and vinyl.
Details
Height (Overall): 5’1” | 1.55 m Height (Centre): 5’ | 1.52 m Width: 20’ | 6.1 m Above Floor: 2.5’ | .76 m Net Mesh: 3/4” | 19 mm Material: Polyethylene, nylon, vinyl
Who invented badminton?
Badminton was originally invented in India around the 1860s as a game called ‘Poona.’ The game was imported and played on country estates back in England when British army officers returned home and further codified the rules of the game for competitive play.
How is badminton different from other racquet sports?
Badminton is unique to other racquet sports in that it is played with a conical shaped shuttlecock rather than a spherical ball.
What is the badminton ball called?
Badminton is played with a shuttlecock (also known as a birdie or bird) instead of a ball. The shuttlecock is an aerodynamic conical projectile that will fly through the air with the cork end first upon hitting it.