In singles the court is thinner, with the wide, outside 'tramlines' out of bounds. In doubles the court is full width and these tramlines are now 'in'. During service in doubles, the court is short, with the rear 'tramlines'at the back of the court, being out of bounds until the serve is returned.
The outermost lines form the doubles court. So in a doubles rally, the shuttle is allowed to land anywhere on the court. The singles court is slightly narrower than the doubles court. The singles side lines are not the outermost lines, but the next ones in.
Serving rules Players must serve the shuttle diagonally and always start the game from the right-hand box. Receiving players do not swap sides of court. Every time there is a serve, a point is scored.
- If the shuttle lands outside the boundaries of the court, passes through or under the net, fail to pass the net, touches the ceiling or side walls, touches the person or dress of a player or touches any other object or person. - If the initial point of contact with the shuttle is not on the striker's side of the net.
Each doubles service court is bounded by the short service line, the centerline, the doubles sideline, and the doubles back service line. Its dimensions are 13 feet (3.96 m) long by 10 feet (3.05 m) wide. It is sometimes referred to as short and . The side alley is in bounds; the back alley is not.
If the server's shuttle goes out of bounds of the court, the receiving player/side wins the point. Importantly, at the instant of being hit by the server's racket, the entire shuttlecock should be below the waist of the server. The waist is considered to be an imaginary line coinciding with the server's lowest rib.
The outer sidelines are marked 5.18m (17.00ft) apart and run parallel to one another. Any shot that lands inside the doubles sideline is considered “in” or valid for doubles matches. If the shuttlecock lands outside the outer sideline in doubles, it is considered out of play.
- A legal doubles serve would land in the area bounded by the center line, the doubles long service line, the doubles side line and the short service line (short and wide). - Once the serve is made in doubles, the court area is bounded by the doubles sideline and the back boundary line.