Seeing Sania Nehwal winning a bronze medal in the 2012 London Olympics, and PV Sindhu a silver medal at Rio in the year 2016, has captured the attention of many proud and patriotic Indians. Badminton is rapidly growing to be one of the most popular sports both played and viewed in India, throughout the last decade. After seeing these two extraordinary women achieve the impossible and unimaginable, the frenzy to take up badminton and play it at a competitive level grew manifold.
What makes badminton so alluring as a sport is definitely it's fast paced nature, and the delicate yet fascinating drop shots. The spectators also remain completely enticed by the rapid upwards speed of the shuttle and the echoing voices of the smashes. Badminton is a game where a point can be won in the blink of an eye and the margin for error is virtually zero. Hence, the understanding of the court and how to make use of the space in the most effective manner is vital to distinguish between winning and losing.
Badminton courts are conventionally rectangular in shape and are designed on a wooden floor with synthetic mats used as the surface. This is done in order to provide cushioning and comfort for the players to move swiftly in an attempt to deceive their opponents with strategic strokes. Considering the rapid movements of the shuttlers and shuttlecocks on the playing surface, it is mandatory to keep the court smooth and even, and the lines as clear as
the light of day.
While the badminton court dimensions are universal and applicable to all competitive levels i.e., professional, collegiate, recreational and high school, the lines are drawn according to the type of competition taking place i.e., singles or doubles. The Badminton court dimensions and lines are collated and agreed upon by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). In order to understand these rules and regulations in great detail this article will not only emphasize upon the measurements and placements of the lines, however will also scrutinize upon the relevance of the same. Moreover, to simplify the details of the lines, the article will explain the lines from the outermost to the innermost.
The entire badminton court that is 44 feet (13.41 meters) long and 20 feet (6.1 meters) wide is divided into two sides for both the players. The total length and breadth can be identified by measuring the distance between the outermost lines of the badminton court. While, the players are instructed to hit all their shots within the rectangular box, it is necessary to leave a space of over 1 meter along the vertical outermost line and a gap of 1.5 meters parallel to the horizontal boundary line. This is done in order to prevent the racket from hitting anything outside the court and also enabling a fair judgment regarding whether the shuttle was IN or OUT.
Moving inwards, at a distance of 1.5 feet (46 centimeters), there are side lines. These lines are particularly drawn for a singles competition, as the rules state that any shuttle landing outside these sidelines during a singles match is considered OUT. During doubles play however, if the shuttle were to land between the outermost line and sideline, during service and rally, it
is called IN.
After the sideline, it is then important to illustrate both the lines drawn horizontal to the net. The line drawn closest to the net on both sides of the court is known as the service line. This line is 6.5 feet (1.98 feet) away from the net, which is 5 feet 1 inch high at the edges and 5 feet high in the center. If the shuttle were to fall before this line, during either a singles or doubles match, it would be a fault serve. Moreover, the line parallel to the service line at a distance of 2.5 feet (76 centimeters) is known as the back service line. Both these lines are drawn in order to denote the boundaries in which the shuttle should land during a serve, in order for it to be considered IN.
Additionally, both courtside is divided into two halves, since in badminton the shuttle must travel diagonally during a service. Lastly, one of the most vital court dimensions spoken about in the BWF's Laws of Badminton and Regulations Handbook is the ceiling height. While the ceiling height for major badminton tournaments is prescribed to be 39 feet, a 30 feet ceiling height for a domestic court will also suffice. The main reason to pay heed to this court dimension is in order to prohibit the shuttle from hitting the ceiling during a smart lob or clear.
This is a concise understanding of the court dimensions and lines of a badminton court. Hopefully, the next time you are watching a match, you are able to make quicker and fairer calls than the umpire.
Also Read | Benefits of playing Badminton
References:
