Reviewed by Adeel Adil. Former Vice President of Sports Society CUVAS.
Understanding the badminton lines someone can have two main benefits: playing better with a high win ratio and making your badminton court quickly. Your win ratio will increase as you better know the line rules that I will briefly discuss later and avoid losing points with minimum violation of Badminton rules.
As lines are directly related to the badminton court size, you can have enough knowledge to make a good court. As the blog title focuses on badminton lines, I also mentioned lines about the racket, net, and shuttlecock. All the details are accurate as I got them from the Badminton World Federation and tried to explain them in an easy way.
Let’s draw some lines to avoid ignorance.
Number of Badminton Lines
There are twelve lines in the court of badminton, and one line is below the badminton net. So the total number is thirteen. There are five pairs of lines, with each pair having two lines. Two lines are in a row that differentiate service courts. And one is between them, that is the badminton net line. Understand better with the Diagram.
Badminton Lines Names
I just mentioned the names of lines without differentiating singles and doubles, as I have explained to them below. For a better understanding, see the Diagram.
- Back Boundary lines/Long service lines
- Short service lines
- Sidelines
- Badminton net’s lines
- Centerline: service courts differentiating line
Badminton Line Dimensions
Knowing the dimensions of lines is very important because It gives you an idea of the size of the court and how a player has space to move, and you can even make it if you have a location.
1.2 The lines marking out the court shall be easily distinguishable and preferably be colored white or yellow. (BWF)
Width of Badminton Lines
1.1 The court shall be a rectangle marked out with lines 40 mm wide. (BWF)
Length of Badminton Lines
Badminton Lines have wildly varying length sizes. As you know, I mentioned five names of lines earlier, so let’s explore the lengths of each.
- The Length of the Back Boundary line/Long service line is 20 feet.
- The length of the Short Service line is 17 feet.
- The Length of Sideline is 43.9 feet.
- The Length of the Badminton net’s line is 20 feet.
- The Length of the Centerline is 12.7 feet.
Badminton Lines for Singles
Following are the lines for singles. You should take care of these lines if you are playing as singles.
- Long service line or back boundary line
- Sideline for singles
Badminton Lines for Doubles
The following lines are specific for players as they are playing doubles.
- Long service line for doubles
- Sideline for doubles.
If you have noticed, these lines are selected differently for singles and doubles, making space wider for doubles and longer for singles.
Badminton Lines Singles and Doubles (Similarities)
The following lines are the same for singles and doubles without any difference.
- Badminton net line
- Centerline
- Short service lines
Badminton Lines Rules
- Back Boundary lines/Long service lines
The shuttlecock must land within these lines. The opposite team or player gets a point if shots land outside these lines.
- Short service lines
The shuttlecock must land in the opposing service court before the service line. Failure to do so result in a point for the opponent.
- Sidelines
Shots must land within these lines; otherwise, a point to the opponent.
- Badminton net’s lines
The shuttlecock must pass this line. The opponent gets a point if you do not pass the shuttlecock.
- Centerline
In singles, it divides the court into left and eight service courts; in doubles, it serves as a reference for positioning.
Considering Dimensions as Lines
Badminton Net
The net should be of fine cord, having a dark color. The thickness of the mesh should be 15mm to 20mm.
Length
The length of the badminton net should be 2 feet 6 inches.
Width
The width of the badminton net for singles is 17 feet, and for doubles is 20 feet.
Badminton Posts
These are the two strong sticks; with their help, the net is hung.
Length
The length of posts must be 5 feet 1 inch.
Diameter
The diameter of the post should be 3 inches.
Badminton Racket
The racket frame is made of aluminum or graphite. Its strings should be made of nylon polyester. Its grip should be made with synthetic material, and the T-joint and shaft should be graphite or carbon fiber.
Length Limit of Badminton Racket
The length of the frame of the badminton racket should be 680mm.
Maximum Width of Badminton Racket
The width of the frame should be 230mm.
Badminton Shuttlecock
A feathered shuttle has goose feathers, a cork base, and a leather covering. Synthetic Shuttlecock is made with a nylon plastic base.
Length
The length of the shuttlecock should be 62mm to 70mm.
Diameter
The base shall be 25 mm to 28 mm in diameter and rounded on the bottom.
Maintenance and Care for the Badminton Court
Clean the lines daily with a soft cloth for the maintenance and care of badminton court lines. Inspect the area periodically for any paint damage. Repair the lines as needed. Give awareness to the players to keep the lines clean. If the court area is prone to moisture, ensure lines are perfectly sealed during the painting process. If you notice any damage, repair it immediately. Delays can cause more harm.
Conclusion
Let’s summarize what we have covered. Don’t worry, I’m not writing more. The summary is in the last image.
