If you grew up in Singapore, you probably played badminton in a void deck, a school hall or a community club at some point. The nets went up, the tape went down and nobody thought much about the exact measurements. That works for a casual game. It does not work if you are designing a hall.
The measurements
A doubles badminton court is 13.40 m long and 6.10 m wide. A singles court is 5.18 m wide, because the outer side lines are not used. The short service line is 1.98 m from the net. The long service line for doubles sits 0.76 m inside the baseline. The net is 1.55 m high at the posts and 1.524 m at the centre. Lines are 40 mm wide.
Run off space
Allow at least 1.5 m around the court. And a bit more at the baselines where players back up to chase a clear. Courts side by side need about 2 m between them to stop players colliding. A hall with four courts typically ends up around 20 m by 36 m once the gaps are counted.
Ceiling height
This is the one people forget. For serious play, aim for about 9 m of clear height above the court. For casual or recreational use, a lower ceiling can work, but you will see more shuttles hitting the roof. Check for beams, lights and ducts.
Draughts and air flow
Shuttlecocks drift easily. Air con vents that blow across the court make rallies unpredictable and frustrate good players. If you are fitting out a hall, ask your M&E team to direct the supply away from play.
The floor
Badminton players rely on quick lateral moves. The ideal surface offers consistent grip and some shock absorption, without feeling sticky. We use a fine grain PVC sports vinyl in the 4.5 to 6.0 mm range for badminton, with a resilient layer underneath. The result is easy on the joints and holds the line markings cleanly. See our badminton court flooring page for specifications.
Our recommendation
If you only have a single multi purpose hall, choose a surface that suits more than one sport. A good sports vinyl handles badminton, pickleball and futsal training, so the room earns its keep every day of the week. Our guide to multi sport court flooring explains how the lines are laid for each sport.
Curious how badminton compares with the faster growing pickleball? Read the next article in this series. In the meantime, our sports flooring range and contact page are here when you need them. You can also read about community sports facilities at Sport Singapore.
Showroom: WCEGA Tower, 21 Bukit Batok Crescent #12-78, Singapore 658065, open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm by appointment.
