Badminton net height: the official measurements and how to set yours

Badminton net height is 5 ft 1 in (1.55 m) at the posts and 5 ft (1.524 m) at the center of the court. The one-inch difference isn't sloppy setup — it's written into the rules, because the cord sags. Both figures are measured from the floor to the top of the net tape.

The two badminton net height numbers

The BWF Laws of Badminton specify the net at two points:

• 1.55 m (5 ft 1 in) over the doubles sidelines, where the net meets the posts
• 1.524 m (5 ft) at the center of the court

Badminton net height in cm is therefore 155 cm at the posts and 152.4 cm in the middle. The awkward 152.4 is five feet converted exactly, which tells you which unit the rule was written in first. Measure to the top edge of the white tape, not the cord threaded through it.

Why the middle sits an inch lower

The net hangs from a cord anchored at two points, the post tops, so it falls in a shallow curve between them. Pulling a cable dead flat across 6.1 m takes tension no portable post would survive. The Laws don't fight the sag, they specify it: 26 mm of drop from post to center.

Small but real: a drive through the middle clears an inch less net than the same shot down the line, part of why the middle is a percentage target.

Badminton net size: width, depth, and the tape

Four more specs define the net.

• Depth: 760 mm, a shade under 2 ft 6 in
• Width: at least 6.1 m (20 ft), the full width of a doubles court
• Mesh: dark, fine cord of even thickness, with a 15–20 mm mesh
• Top edge: 75 mm (3 in) of white tape doubled over the cord or cable

The bottom of the net sits about 76 cm off the floor at center. The ends must meet the posts with no gap at all; if the ties have stretched, the Laws say to tie the full depth of the net off at the ends.

Where the posts go, even in singles

Posts stand 1.55 m from the playing surface and must stay vertical when the net is strained. They sit on the doubles sidelines in both formats. A doubles court is 6.1 m wide against 5.18 m for singles, so in a singles match the posts stand 46 cm outside each sideline you're playing to. The rest of the badminton court dimensions don't change between formats — only the lines in play do.

Where posts can't sit on the sidelines — a net strung across a sports hall, say — the Laws ask for thin posts or 40 mm wide strips of material on the doubles sidelines, rising vertically to the net cord.

How to measure and adjust a portable net

1. Set the posts on the doubles sidelines and check they're plumb.
2. Thread the cord through the tape and clamp it flush with the tops of the posts.
3. Run a steel tape from the floor to the top of the tape at each post: 5 ft 1 in at both. Two different readings mean an uneven floor or a post creeping inward.
4. Measure again at the center. You want 5 ft.
5. If the center reads low, add tension. If the posts read low with the cord already flush, raise the posts rather than over-tightening.

There's no official tension figure — the heights are the spec. Telescoping poles flex and weighted bases creep, so re-check a portable set after a few rallies.

With the net measured, the only setup decision left is format: how many games, and the 21-point rally scoring that goes with them. Badminton Scoreboard is a badminton scoreboard app for iPhone and Apple Watch that tracks match scores. The badminton scoring rules cover how those games are won.

Badminton net height vs tennis, pickleball, and volleyball

Gyms share posts and floor sockets, so the numbers matter on a multi-line floor.

Sport	At the posts / sidelines	At the center
Badminton	1.55 m (5 ft 1 in)	1.524 m (5 ft)
Tennis	1.07 m (3 ft 6 in)	0.914 m (3 ft), pulled down by a center strap
Pickleball	0.914 m (36 in)	0.86 m (34 in), pulled down by a center strap
Volleyball, men's indoor	No more than 2 cm above center height	2.43 m (7 ft 11⅝ in)
Volleyball, women's indoor	No more than 2 cm above center height	2.24 m (7 ft 4⅛ in)

Badminton is the odd one out in how the dip is made. Tennis and pickleball force the center down with a strap; volleyball treats the center as the reference and tolerates higher ends. Badminton just names both ends of the natural curve.

FAQ

How high is a badminton net in feet?

Badminton net height in feet is 5 ft 1 in at the posts and exactly 5 ft at the center. Both are floor-to-top-of-tape measurements, and both apply to singles and doubles.

Is the badminton net height different for singles and doubles?

No. The heights are identical and the posts stay on the doubles sidelines in both formats. Only the sidelines in play change, which is one of the first things to get straight in the badminton rules.

How high is a badminton net for kids?

The Laws give one height for competitive play, so junior tournaments use the full 1.55 m. School and coaching programs often lower the net for young beginners so rallies can happen, but there's no single official junior height — it's a coaching choice, not a rule.

How far off the floor is the bottom of the net?

Roughly 76 cm at the center. The net is 760 mm deep and its top edge sits at 1.524 m there, leaving a gap of a little over two and a half feet.

Why is the badminton net height 1.524 m and not a round number?

Because the rule was set in feet. 1.524 m is 5 ft converted exactly, and 1.55 m is a rounded metric version of 5 ft 1 in. Neither is arbitrary, just translated.