Badminton players and playing area
Playing area
- A competitive badminton court is a large rectangle marked out with 40 mm wide lines. The dimensions of the court are of 13.4 m (44 ft) long and 6.1m (20 ft) wide.
- The badminton posts are 1.55 m (5ft 1 in) in height and must remain perfectly vertical when attached to the strained net. To ensure visibility and safety, the 6.1 m wide net is made from fine dark cord with a mesh of between 15-20 mm.
Players
A badminton match can have either two or four players on the court at a given time.
In a game of doubles, after a service is returned, both players are then able to hit the shuttlecock and are not required to take it in turns.
Competitive badminton games have five different types of matches/events. They are:
- men's singles
- women's singles
- men's doubles
- women's doubles
- mixed doubles (each team is made up of a man and a woman)
However, recreational games see women playing against men in singles matches. Wheelchair formats are also offered in all types of competitive badminton matches.