Design

Guidance Note

Badminton
 Badminton

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Issue number Issue date Status / revision details

001 15/09/2005 Initial publication

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 Badminton

Introduction with no natural daylight and a suitable background

for sighting the shuttle. The hall should be warm
This Design Guidance has been written with controlled ventilation and a resilient floor to
specifically with Badminton as the primar y prevent injuries.
consideration. The modern game demands Note - Contact the BADMINTON England, Development
special playing conditions that many halls could Department, National Badminton Centre, Bradwell Road,
easily have provided at the design stage but which Loughton Lodge, Milton Keynes, MK8 9LA. Tel: 01908 268400.
would now be expensive to alter. Although
In accordance with the Badminton Facilities
some technical terms are used throughout this
Strategy, BADMINTON England has introduced
document they have been kept to the minimum
criteria for High Performance Centres,
so that the professional designer and the club
Performance and Development Centres and
player can both gain from this information.
Development Centres. It has also introduced
Badminton is one of the most popular sports in an accreditation system for special badminton
the U.K. and is frequently the single most centres, which enables any sports centre to be
popular sport in multi-sport halls. Sports halls assessed by the BADMINTON England and if it
are often built using the badminton courts as a achieves the required standard, is awarded an
standard to produce the size of the building i.e. accreditation as a specialist badminton centre
a four-court hall will accommodate other sports in one of the above three categories.
within this area such as netball, basketball, five-a-
This Design Guidance is written in two sections
side football, volleyball and cricket practice nets.
A and B:
Badminton has the most exacting visual
Section A covers dedicated badminton halls,
requirements therefore the section on lighting is
where no other spor t is played and would
more detailed than other sections. Badminton
normally be a High Performance Centre or a
requires that players are able to sight a
Performance and Development Centre.
fast moving shuttlecock against a suitable
background, which can be varied by lighting Section B covers multi-use halls in which
and colour. Badminton requires space and “run- badminton is played together with other sports
off” similar to other sports but requires different and community activities. These may be
lighting and greater height than most other Performance and Development Centres and
sports. Badminton requires a properly lit hall Development Centres.

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 Badminton

Table 1 Definitions of hall use

Performance Definition Levels of play
CLASS 1 High Performance Centre Suitable for competitive play and training up to
National level
CLASS 2 Performance & Suitable for competitive play and training up to Junior
Development Centre National and Senior County
CLASS 3 Development Centre Suitable for competitive play and training up to Junior
County, Local League/Club and Recreational play

7.5m
no light fittings within this zone end to end

530mm
40mm
380mm
40mm
40 x 40mm

1.5 or
3.8m
m
76
0.
m
96
3.
m
98
1.

m
.73
13.4m 14
Linesmen's
chairs
m
1.2 - 1.45m 9.06 1.52 - 2.08m
To dividing netting
To wall or between
undivided courts
1.5 or
2.59m 0.46m
3.8m
6.1m

Figure 1 Badminton Court space requirements – Inset detail of corner markings

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 Badminton

Section A preferred but higher standard and is more

Dedicated Badminton Centres relevant to the higher standards of play and
competition. This is a wide specification and
These centres will be to the highest standard BADMINTON England prefers to be more
and will have to comply specifically with the specific in the type of floor used. A more
requirements of Badminton England as set detailed Performance Specification for
out below. Badminton Flooring is set out at Appendix 1
of this Design Guidance.
A1 - Flooring 4) The finish to the flooring should be matt to
avoid any glare and the overall effect dark in
1) The preferred flooring for playing badminton
colour. The floor colour’s reflectance value
is a sprung floor covered with a vinyl
should be within 20 to 40%.
absorbent covering. This is an area elastic
floor covered with a point elastic covering;
and is referred to as a floor with combi- A2 - Space and layout
elastic deflection. A description of this floor
would be as follows:- Schedule of court sizes

A combined area and point elastic sports The schedule of sizes in Table 1 are for a four-
floor comprising a 22mm thick plywood court hall but some centres may have more
decking secured to preservative treated courts in which case the minimum dimensions
battens supported by shock absorbent and spaces should be maintained.
cradles. The playing surface is to Height requirements
comprise a 6.5mm thick close cell foam
backed sheet floor covering. The heights indicated in the schedule are the
minimum heights, which should be over the
2) The other type of sprung floor commonly
whole of the court area, and are below any
used and accepted by BADMINTON
obstr uctions such as beams, basketball
England is a sprung floor covered with
backboards, cricket net rails and lights, etc.
hardwood strip flooring.
3) The performance standard and testing Layout of courts
method for sports floors is covered by 1) Court markings should be 40mm wide and
British Standard 7044: Artificial Sports should be of a contrasting colour to the floor
Surfaces, Part 4 – Specification for Surfaces but it is usual for these lines to be matt
for Multi-sports Use. CEN 217 is a white; they may be applied by paint or tape.
2) Should the courts be laid out “end to end”
then there should be a curtain between the
ends of the courts and it is essential that
the minimum dimension is maintained on
both sides of the curtain (i.e. 2.3metres).
To avoid any distractions caused by
movement and lights from the other courts,
the curtain dividing the courts should be
solid; netting will not be sufficient.
Note - Full details of the layout of a badminton court may
be obtained on BADMINTON England’s website
www.badmintonengland.co.uk (click on Development and
then Facilities)

Figure 2 General indicative standard

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 Badminton

A3 - Walls and ceilings interference is caused by lights or reflection

of activity from the playing area.
Walls Note - Glass and Glazing Federation, 44, Borough High
Street, London, SE1 1BX Tel: 0207 403 7177
1) A background against which a fast moving
shuttle can be seen easily is critically 4) Walls should be finished in medium to dark
important for the successful playing of shades and have a matt surface. This
the game. applies just as much to sidewalls as to
the end walls since many shots are played
2) The ideal badminton hall has four plain walls
looking towards the side of the court. Walls
with no windows or roof lights. There should
can be built of many different types of
be no distracting attachments, particularly
material but it should be borne in mind that
brightly coloured items. There should be
acoustics play an important part in the
no ledges or other projections likely to trap
enjoyment of the hall. Colours with a
shuttles. The surface material, texture colour
reflectance value of 30-50% were found
and reflectance must be consistent and
to give the best playing conditions - green
uninterrupted over the full height of the Hall.
(Dulux Colour dimensions code 30 GG
3) Very careful thought should be given to the 45/362) or an equivalent blue (86 BG
design of spectator galleries, these can 43/321). Any doors or coverings should
sometimes create difficulties and be finished in the same colour as the walls.
distractions when viewed from the court.
5) Where curtains are drawn at the ends of
These areas need to be of similar colour to
the courts, such as in a hall that has the
the walls and the lighting should be subdued
courts laid out “end to end”, the material
and carefully hidden when viewed from the
should be “solid” and the same colour as
court. Windows and doors at the rear of the
the surrounding walls.
spectators’ galleries should be curtained or
designed so that no light can be seen from 6) The overall construction should be designed
the court. If the spectator areas are glazed to provide sound absorption qualities with a
then specialist advice should be obtained maximum reverberation time of 2 seconds
from the Glazing Association so that no at 500Hz with a noise rating of 50.

Table 2 High performance centre – minimum spaces around courts

Hall Between Between courts where Sides at End of
size courts curtain is required end of hall court
New-build hall 9.1m high
Length 33.00m No curtain 1.72m 1.72m 2.30m
Width 18.00m With curtain 1.50m 2.60m 1.50m
Recommended new-build hall size for tournaments and accommodating spectators
Length 34.80m No curtain 2.08m 2.08m 3.80m
Width 21.00m With curtain 2.00m 3.20m 1.60m
Notes:
● The dimension of 2.6m between courts is the recommended minimum when a curtain divides the courts;
this maintains the 1.3m at the sides of each court affected.
● The dimension of 3.8m at the ends of the court is when additional space can be provided for spectators.
In this situation it is more practical to provide 2.3m at one end and 4.3m at the other end for spectator
seating, circulation and umpires/linesman’s chairs.

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 Badminton

Ceilings reflecting from the white feathers of the

shuttle. The shuttle can best be seen when
The ceilings in spor ts halls are often the
illuminated in this way against a dark
underlining to the roof, which is usually of a
background, therefore the rear does not
sandwich construction. The underlining can be
need to be lit to such a high level as the
of an acoustic material and as with the walls
centre of the court; in fact very little lighting
this is very important to the environment of the
is required at the rear.
hall. Sometimes the self-finished acoustic lining
is an ideal colour for the ceiling and complies 5) Players must be able to follow the flight of
with the required reflectance values of 70–90% the shuttle against the background without
- colours in excess of 90% i.e. white, causes being troubled by glare or having their
visual problems and should not be used. attention distracted by bright light sources.
Badminton requires very carefully designed
A4 - Environmental services lighting to enable the game to be played at a
high standard. It is often thought that
Lighting badminton requires very high illuminance
levels but this is not the case, badminton
1) Lighting for badminton, as with most other requires lighting to be concentrated in
activities, involves subjective opinions that certain areas but not in others.
may fluctuate in respect of the degree of
acceptability of a lighting installation. The 6) Lighting is one of the most important
aims and objectives in lighting a badminton requirements in the design of a hall where
court must take into consideration the badminton is played but has so often been
requirements for provision of: ignored. It is essential to consider lighting
early in the design stage so that the lamp
● A safe environment for players. type can be co-ordinated with the court layout
● An effective illumination of court and the background colours. Lighting and
markings so as to aid player information colours should be considered as an entity.
and to assist match officials in the
7) Luminaires must not be directly positioned
execution of their duties.
over the court. Doors and windows to other
● A suitable and sufficient lighting for lit areas are all distracting, and arrangements
spectators. should be made for such light sources to be
2) In accordance with BS EN 12193 (1999) - temporarily screened or switched off.
Sports Lighting, three area dimensions are 8) It is important to appreciate that the
described i.e. principal area (PA), total area background and the lighting should be
(TA) and reference area (RA). The principal considered as an entity as both can alter the
area is the actual playing area required for playing conditions. The walls need to be of
the performance of a sport. The total area a colour giving a reflectance value (RV) of
comprises the principal area plus any not more than 50% and the ceilings 70% –
additional safety area outside the principal 90%. It has been found that not all colours
area. The reference area is that area on give the best background, even when all
which the main lighting requirements apply. colours selected were 50% RV; green and
3) The respective dimensions for badminton blue were the preferred colours. With regard
court lighting are given as PA = (13.4m x to the ceiling the reflective value may be
6.1m) and TA (Max) = (18m x 10.5m). higher if the luminaires are suspended
further from the ceiling - alternatively if the
4) When designing the lighting for badminton luminaries are positioned nearer to the
halls it is useful to appreciate how the game ceiling then the ceiling fabric must be darker
is played. The shuttle can move at very fast with a lower reflectance value.
speeds over the net requiring maximum light

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 Badminton

9) The shuttle is also hit very high and over

some distance, which demands a degree of
uplighting to pick up the shuttle in flight.
Preferred lighting conditions are obtained
when the luminaires are suspended from
the ceiling, as much of the game is spent
with the players looking up at the ceiling to
follow the flight of the shuttle.
10) The luminaires should be set at 5 metres
from the floor and no closer than one metre
from the side of the court. Luminaires
should be concentrated from the midcourt
to the centre; one positioned level with the
net and the others positioned three metres
in both direction and level with the midcourt
area (see diagram figure 7). This layout has
been proven to give suitable playing
conditions and avoids situations where a
player may be dazzled.
11) It is important that an appropriate type of
luminaire is selected that allows a degree
of shielding and/or diffusion to prevent the
player looking into a direct light. Good
Figure 3 The luminaire positions
lighting conditions have been obtained by
using compact fluorescents – high
lighting across the court but rather a higher
frequency luminaries.
level of lighting over the centre area of the court
12) If a curtain is used between the courts then across the full width.
lighting is required on both sides of the
curtain to maintain the same level of lighting. Luminaires and blare control

Illuminance to BS EN 12193 (1999) 1) The total elimination of glare in sport is

seldom achieved due to the ever-changing
The level of illuminance required for many directions of view of participants.
sports is influenced by the standard of play and Nevertheless measures should be taken in
is set out in BS EN 12193 (1999) as Class I, II an attempt to minimise glare that may affect
and III. Notwithstanding this recommendation the visual performance of participants. To
the level of illuminance required for badminton this end downlighter luminaires should be
should be the best possible irrespective of used that incorporate glare control.
standard of play. The illuminance plot at Table 3
2) In sporting environments similar to indoor
shows the recommended level.
working conditions, glare should be
BADMINTON England recognizes that the calculated using the unified glare rating
National Governing Body’s recommendation for (UGR) method and limiting values used
lighting is not in accordance with BS EN 12193. shall be those specified in prEN 12464.
Nevertheless, experience gained over many
Typical lux readings for a dedicated badminton
years supports the recommendation that lighting
court – luminaires to be 5 metres above floor
for Badminton should be in accordance with the
level, 1 metre from the edge of the court and no
illuminance levels as shown at Figure 4. This
luminaires extending more than 3 metres from
diagram shows there is not a uniformity of
the net line at the centre of the court.

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 Badminton

Table 3 Illuminance levels

ILLUMINANCE PLOT with luminaires at
5m above floor level
Average illuminance 474 lux
Minimum illuminance 305 lux
Maximum illuminance 595 lux

metres
4.025 2.015 0 2.015 4.025

6.200 305 335 345 335 305

4.650 415 445 445 445 415

3.100 500 530 535 530 500

1.550 545 585 580 585 545

metres

0 560 595 590 595 560

1.550 545 585 580 585 545

3.100 500 530 535 530 500

4.650 415 445 445 445 415

6.200 305 335 345 335 305

Figure 4 Illuminance plot and luminaire positions

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 Badminton

Maintenance and monitoring systems are designed to operate around the

perimeter of the hall to limit air movement
A programme of cyclic maintenance should be
over the court. The air velocities within the
operated whereby:
playing area should not exceed 0.1 metres
● Luminaires shall be cleaned at a frequency per second.
in keeping with the activities performed
3) The system most commonly used where
within the environment.
badminton is played is high-level radiant
● Lamps should be changed in accordance panels fitted to the walls in conjunction with
with manufacturers’ recommendations. a controlled ventilation system. Traditional
● Records shall be kept of maintenance low pressure hot water radiator systems or
performed. under floor heating could be used if
appropriate to the type of flooring. Heating
● Individually failed lamps shall be replaced as
by warm air is not recommended, as it is
a matter of urgency – since an inoperative
difficult to control the air movement when
luminaire will present a ‘dark patch’ when
the heating is operating.
players are looking upwards which is likely
to result in difficulty in following the
A5 - Other accommodation and facilities
trajectory and velocity of the shuttle.

Heating and ventilation Badminton does not require large storage

facilities for equipment in dedicated badminton
1) The design temperatures should be centres as the posts and nets are permanently
between 16 to 19ºC, which is accepted as positioned in the floor of the hall. The only other
the comfort zone for playing the game. It is items of equipment may be shuttles and
recommended that no less than 1.5 air umpires chairs.
changes per hour be made.
Other facilities required are as follows:
2) Any heating or ventilating system that
moves the air can deflect the shuttlecock; ● Changing rooms with showers for both male
therefore it is important that heating and and female *
ventilation systems are designed taking this ● Restaurant
into account. The location and protection of
● Physio/medical room
all air input and extraction grilles or
openings must be carefully considered – ● Meeting/seminar room for 15 to 20 people
particularly in relation to the flight path of ● Access to weights/CV training equipment
the shuttlecock. It is better if ventilation
● Area for waiting/resting players
● Residential accommodation for 20 people
● Office with telephone to accommodate two
people
● Car parking**
*Note – Refer to Sport England Design Guidance Notes
“Sports halls – Design”, “Sports halls – Sizes and Layouts”
and “Changing Rooms and Lockers”. These are available
free-to-download from:
http//www.sportengland.org/index/get_resources/resource_
downloads/design_guidelines.htm

**Note – Refer to Sport England Design Guidance Note

“Car Parking and Landscape Design”. This DGN is
available free-to-download from:
Figure 5 Note high-level radiant heaters on walls http//www.sportengland.org/index/get_resources/resource_
and extract fans at ends of building
downloads/design_guidelines.htm

10
 Badminton

Section B 4) In existing halls solid floors are often used

Badminton Centres in Multi-use Halls i.e. concrete, screed or composition flooring.
This is NOT acceptable for the playing of
These centres would most likely be in sports badminton and injuries can be caused with
centres, schools, academies or universities this type of floor. It is appreciated that
and may be classified as Performance and existing centres and halls may have this
Development Centres or Development Centres type of floor and that they can be improved
by covering the existing hard floor with
The advice given in these notes, by Sport
laminated timber planks on rubber strips or
England and BADMINTON England, will provide
a foam-backed cushioned sheet material.
the best conditions for playing the game.
Halls modified in this manner would be an
Professional designers may consider that there
improvement but would not be considered
are other ways of achieving the same results,
for accreditation or for funding through
and alternatives would be considered but these
Sport England. It should also be noted that
must first be approved by BADMINTON England
this upgrade will not comply with Part 4 of
and Sport England before commitment and
the British Standard 7044 and therefore a
construction.
detailed risk assessment will need to be
carried out. Anything less than Part 4 is not
B1 - Flooring
suitable for the playing of badminton or
1) The preferred flooring for playing badminton other sporting and movement activities such
is a sprung floor covered with a vinyl as dance or aerobics. The insurance
absorbent covering. This being an area industry in the United Kingdom regards a
elastic floor covered with a point elastic floor specification which complies with
covering, this being referred to as a floor BS7044 Part 4 as the minimum against
with combi-elastic deflection. A description which to defend a claim for a sports injury
of this floor would be as follows:- caused by the floor specification and
workmanship. Therefore any upgrade
A combined area and point elastic sports specification which falls short of this leaves
floor covering comprising a 22mm thick the facility owner or lessee at risk of a claim.
plywood decking secured to preservative
treated battens supported by shock 5) The finish to the flooring should be matt to
absorbent cradles. The playing surface to avoid any glare and the overall effect dark in
comprise a 6.5mm thick close cell foam colour. The floor colours reflectance value
backed sheet floor covering. A more should be within the range 20% to 40%.
detailed Performance Specification for
Badminton Flooring is set out at Appendix 1 B2 - Space and layout
of this Design Guidance Note.
Schedule of court sizes
2) The other type of sprung floor commonly
used and accepted by BADMINTON Height requirements
England is a sprung floor covered with
1) The heights indicated in the schedule are
hardwood strip flooring.
the minimum heights, which should be over
3) The performance standard and testing the whole of the court area, and are below
method for sports floors is covered by British any obstructions such as beams, basketball
Standard 7044: Artificial Sports Surfaces, backboards, cricket net rails and lights, etc.
Part 4 – Specification for Surfaces for Multi-
2) Halls below 7.6m would be unsuitable for
sports Use. This is a wide specification and
play at a high level (County or National) but
BADMINTON England prefers to be more
would be adequate for local league or club
specific in the type of floor used.

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 Badminton

Table 4 Schedule of court sizes, Development Centres – Minimum space around courts
Hall Between Between courts where Sides at End of
size courts curtain is required end of hall court
Existing hall – height 6.7m
Length 32.00m No curtain 1.52m 1.52m 1.50m
Width 16.40m With curtain 1.40m 2.40m 1.20m
Recommended new-build hall – height 7.6m
Length 33.00m No curtain 1.72m 1.72m 2.30m
Width 18.00m With curtain 1.50m 2.60m 1.50m

Table 5 Schedule of court sizes, Performance and Development Centres – Minimum space
around courts
Hall Between Between courts where Sides at End of
size courts curtain is required end of hall court
Existing hall - height 7.6m (as development centres)
New-build hall – height 9.1m
Length 33.00m No curtain 1.72m 1.72m 2.30m
Width 18.00m With curtain 1.50m 2.60m 1.50m
Recommended new-build hall size for tournaments and accommodating spectators – height 7.6m
Length 34.80m No curtain 2.08m 2.08m 3.80m
Width 21.00m With curtain 2.00m 2.90m 1.60m
Notes:
● The dimension of 1.2m at the sides of the court is the recommended minimum and this must be maintained
when a curtain is introduced.
● The dimension of 2.4m between courts is the recommended minimum when a curtain divides the courts;
this maintains the 1.2m at the sides of each court affected.
● The dimension of 3.8m at the ends of the court is when additional space can be provided for spectators.
In this situation it is more practical to provide 2.3m at one end and 4.3m at the other end for spectator
seating, circulation and umpires/linesman’s chairs.
● BADMINTON England recognizes that not all existing halls will be able to provide the minimum dimensions
but safety should be considered at all times. The applicant would need to carry out a detailed risk assessment.

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 Badminton

matches as doubles is predominantly B4 - Walls and ceilings

played rather than singles when the greater
height would be desirable. It would also be Walls
suitable for Adult Education, recreational or
children’s’ play. 1) A background against which a fast moving
shuttle can be seen easily is critically important
3) A height of 6.1m is the recommended for the successful playing of the game.
absolute minimum for small community
centre halls designed only for recreational 2) The ideal badminton hall has four plain walls
play. with no windows or roof lights. There should
be no distracting attachments, particularly
Layout of courts brightly coloured items. Basketball practice
backboards behind a court should be
1) Court markings should be 40mm wide and
removable. There should be no ledges or
should be of a contrasting colour to the
other projections likely to trap shuttles.
floor, but it is usual for these lines to be matt
white; they may be applied by paint or tape. 3) Very careful thought should be given to the
Where a sports centre is accredited by design of spectator galleries, these can
BADMINTON England then the badminton sometimes create difficulties and
lines should be dominant. distractions when viewed from the court.
These areas need to be of similar colour to
2) Where the courts are laid out “end to end”
the walls and the lighting should be subdued
then there must be a curtain between the
and carefully hidden when viewed from the
ends of the courts and it is essential that
court. Windows and doors at the rear of the
the minimum dimension is maintained on
spectators’ galleries should be curtained or
both sides of the curtain (i.e. 1.5m and
designed so that no light can be seen from
2.3m). To avoid any distractions caused by
the court. If the spectator areas are glazed
movement and lights from the other courts,
then specialist advice should be obtained
the curtain dividing the courts should be
from the Glazing Association so that no
solid; netting will not be sufficient.
interference is caused by lights or reflection
Note - Full details of the layout of a badminton court may of activity from the playing area.
be obtained on the Badminton England’s website
www.badmintonengland.co.uk (click on Development and Note - Glass and Glazing Federation, 44, Borough High
then Facilities) Street, London, SE1 1BX Tel: 0207 403 7177

4) Walls should be finished in medium to dark

shades and have a matt surface. This
applies just as much to sidewalls as to the
end walls since many shots are played
looking towards the side of the court. Walls
can be built of many different types of
material but it should be borne in mind that
acoustics play an important part in the
enjoyment of the hall. Colours with a
reflectance value of 30-50% were found to
give the best playing conditions - green
(Dulux Colour dimensions code 30 GG
45/362) or an equivalent blue (86 BG
43/321). Any doors or coverings should be
finished in the same colour as the walls.
Please also refer to Sport England Design
Figure 6 Hall/Spectator Gallery

13
 Badminton

very important to the environment of the hall.

Sometimes the self-finished acoustic lining is
an ideal colour for the ceiling and complies with
the required reflectance values of 70–90%
- colours in excess of 90% i.e. white, causes
visual problems and should not be used.

B4 - Environmental services

Lighting
(Please also refer to paragraphs 1-12 in
Section A)
In a multi-use hall where badminton is played
the ideal conditions would be for the centre
lights to be lowered to 5 metres on a rise and
fall gantry system (allow sufficient cable for
maintenance). If this is not possible then it is
important that the switching should be arranged
so that all the luminaires at the rear of the
courts can be switched off, thereby creating a
darker background. In this instance it is better to
Figure 7 Note acoustic blocks have been used in
the wall construction have five luminaires suspended between the
courts and wired so that those at each end of
the court can be switched off and the three
Guidance “Sports Halls – Design” regarding
centre luminaires left on for playing. This will
reflectance values for walls and ceilings, etc
give acceptable conditions where dedicated
which needs to be taken into account when
badminton lighting cannot be used.
selecting the most appropriate value.
Note - Sport England Design Guidance “Sports Halls –
Design” is free-to-download from the Sport England
website at
http://www.sportengland.org/index/get_resources/resource
_downloads/design_guidelines.htm

5) Where curtains are drawn at the ends of the

courts, such as in a hall that has the courts
laid out “end to end”, the material should be
“solid” and the same colour as the
surrounding walls.
6) The overall construction should be designed
to provide sound absorption qualities with a
maximum reverberation time of 2 seconds
at 500Hz with a noise rating of 50.

Ceilings
The ceilings in spor ts halls are often the
underlining to the roof, which is a sandwich
construction. The underlining can be of an Figure 8 Note lights set in Badminton state (three
acoustic material and as with the walls this is luminaires only and lowered to 5 metres)

14
 Badminton

Illuminance to BS EN 12193 (1999) 2) By using the high frequency fluorescent

lighting systems described previously, court
The level of illuminance required for many
level illuminance values can be varied,
sports is influenced by the standard of play and
typically between 50% and 150% of
is set out in BS EN 12193 (1999) as Class I, II
the normal design lighting requirement.
and III. Notwithstanding this recommendation
For those participants without visual
the level of illuminance required for badminton
impairment, the illuminance level can be
should be the best possible irrespective of
adjusted so as to provide a 100% output.
standard. The illuminance plot, Figure 9 shows
Where variation from the normal illuminance
the recommended level.
level is required when visually impaired or
BADMINTON England recognizes that the partially sighted individuals are playing
National Governing Body’s recommendation for badminton, the light output from the
lighting is not in accordance with BS EN 12193. installation can be controlled accordingly
Nevertheless, experience gained over many depending upon the pathology, and
years supports the recommendation that lighting subsequent lighting requirements, of
for Badminton should be in accordance with the the participants. It will be evident that
illuminance levels as shown at Figure 9. This individuals with mixed visual abilities are
diagram shows there is not a uniformity of unlikely to participate on the same court
lighting across the court but rather a higher simultaneously.
level of lighting over the centre area of the court
3) In all situations it is essential to ensure
across the full width.
conformity with the terms specified in the
Luminaires and glare control UK Disability Discrimination Act 1995
together with all other current relevant
1) The total elimination of glare in sport is legislation.
seldom achieved due to the ever-changing
Note – Please also refer to Sport England DGN “Access for
directions of view of participants.
Disabled people” which is free-to-download from:
Nevertheless measures should be taken in http://www.sportengland.org/index/get_resources/resource
an attempt to minimise glare that may affect _downloads/design_guidelines.htm
the visual performance of participants.
Typical lux reading for a badminton court with
To this end downlighter luminaires should
ideal lighting conditions – luminaires to be 5
be used that incorporate glare control.
metres above floor level, 1 metre from the edge
2) In sporting environments similar to indoor of the court and no luminaires extending more
working conditions, glare should be than 3 metres from the net line at the centre of
calculated using the unified glare rating the court.
(UGR) method and limiting values used
shall be those specified in prEN 12464. Heating and ventilation

Facilities for visually impaired/partially 1) The design temperatures should be

sighted participants between 16 to 19ºC, which is accepted as
the comfort zone for playing the game. It is
1) When visually impaired or partially sighted recommended that no less than 1.5 air
participants play sport (including changes per hour be made.
badminton) increased illumination may
2) Any heating or ventilating system that
improve their performance and enjoyment.
moves the air can deflect the shuttlecock
However, depending upon the nature of
therefore it is important that heating and
the pathology of the participant, increased
ventilation systems are designed taking this
levels of illuminance may adversely affect
into account. The location and protection
the performance and enjoyment.
of all air input and extraction grilles or

15
 Badminton

Table 6 Illuminance levels

ILLUMINANCE PLOT with luminaires at
5 m above floor level
Average illuminance 474 lux
Minimum illuminance 305 lux
Maximum illuminance 595 lux

metres
4.025 2.015 0 2.015 4.025

6.200 305 335 345 335 305

4.650 415 445 445 445 415

3.100 500 530 535 530 500

1.550 545 585 580 585 545

metres

0 560 595 590 595 560

1.550 545 585 580 585 545

3.100 500 530 535 530 500

4.650 415 445 445 445 415

6.200 305 335 345 335 305

Figure 9 Illuminance plot and luminaire positions

16
 Badminton

openings must be carefully considered – single-court hall with community use, a minimum
particularly in relation to the flight path of of 45 square metres storage is required.
the shuttlecock. It is better if ventilation
Other facilities required for Development Centres
systems are designed to operate around
as follows:-
the perimeter of the hall to limit air
movement over the court. The air velocities ● Changing rooms with showers for both male
within the playing area should not exceed and female*.
0.1 metres per second. ● Catering - Basic i.e. vending.
3) The system most commonly used where ● On site first aid.
badminton is played is high-level radiant
● Provision for hire of playing equipment.
panels fitted to the walls in conjunction with
a controlled ventilation system. Traditional ● Car parking**.
low pressure hot water radiator systems *Note – Refer to Sport England Design Guidance Notes
or under floor heating could be used if “Sports halls – Design”, “Sports halls – Sizes and Layouts”
and “Changing Rooms and Lockers”. These are available
appropriate to the type of flooring. Heating
free-to-download from:
by warm air is not recommended, as it is http//www.sportengland.org/index/get_resources/resource_
difficult to control the air movement when downloads/design_guidelines.htm
the heating is operating.
**Note – Refer to Sport England Design Guidance Note
“Car Parking and Landscape Design”. This DGN is
Maintenance and monitoring
available free-to-download from:
A programme of cyclic maintenance should be http//www.sportengland.org/index/get_resources/resource_
downloads/design_guidelines.htm
operated whereby: -
● Luminaires shall be cleaned at a frequency Other facilities required for Performance and
in keeping with the activities performed Development Centres as follows:
within the environment. ● As for a Development Centre
● Lamps should be changed in accordance In addition:
with manufacturers’ recommendations
● Physio/medical room.
● Records shall be kept of maintenance
● Meeting/seminar room for 15 to 20 people.
performed
● Access to weights/CV training equipment.
● Individually failed lamps shall be replaced as
a matter of urgency – since an inoperative ● Area for waiting/resting players.
luminaire will present a ‘dark patch’ when
players are looking upwards which is likely
to result in difficulty in following the
trajectory and velocity of the shuttle.

B5 - Other accommodation and facilities

Badminton does not require large storage

facilities for equipment only sufficient room for
wheel-away posts, nets and shuttles. However,
in multi-use halls, the general minimum storage
provision for all spor ts activities must be
equivalent to 12.5% of the hall floor area. This
minimum provision should be increased where
community use and storage requires it. In a

17
 Badminton

Appendix 1

Table 7 Performance specification for badminton flooring

Description Combined area and point elastic sports floor covering comprising a
22mm thick plywood decking secured to preservative treated battens
supported by shock absorbent cradles. The playing surface to comprise
a 6.5mm thick closed cell foam-backed sheet floor covering.
Total finished thickness Not to exceed 85mm
Property Test/Reference Specification
Fire Rating prEN 11925 C
Dimensional Stability EN 434 0.10%
Colour Fastness EN20-105 B02 ≥6
Anti-Bacterial/ Yes
Fungicidal Treatment
Chemical Resistance EN 423 Resistance to dilute acids, oil, alkalis,
grease and cleaning agents except
vinyl solvents.
Friction Coefficient prEN [German Method] 0.45
Wear Layer UV Reticulated PU Yes
Surface Treatment
Shock Absorption BS 7044: Part 4 ≤ 200G
Energy Return EN [%] ≥ 50%
Abrasion Resistance EN 660 ≤ 0.2g
Dynamic Load Limit prEN 1569 (N) ≤ 1500
Indentation Resistance prEN 1516 (mm) ≤ 0.5
Static Load Limit psi ≤ 200
Dynamic Load Limit psi ≤ 1500
Evenness prEN 13036.7 (mm) ≤6
Light Reflection ISO 2813 (%) ≤ 30

18
 Badminton

Further reference Design Guidance Prepared by

Roger A Barnard BA [Hons] BArch RIBA MCMI
Sport England Design Guidance Notes: MInstPS
Access for Disabled People Architect
Community Investment
Sports Halls – Design
Operations and Performance Directorate
Sports halls – Sizes and Layouts Sport England
3rd Floor
Car Parking and Landscape Design
Victoria House
The above are all free-to-download from: Bloomsbury Square
http://www.sportengland.org/index/get_resources/ London WC1B 4SE
resource_downloads/design_guidelines.htm
Tel: 020-7273 1584
The National Badminton Facilities Email: [email protected]
Strategy 2000-2005:
(Summary Report price £3.00).
Acknowledgements
Further information may be obtained from
The Badminton Association of England Ltd., John Bristow
Development Department, BADMINTON England,
National Badminton Centre, Development Department,
Bradwell Road, Loughton Lodge, National Badminton Centre,
Milton Keynes MK8 9LA. Bradwell Road,
Loughton Lodge,
Tel: 01908 268400 Milton Keynes MK8 9LA.
Fax: 01908 268412,
Tel: (+44) 01908-268400
Email:[email protected].
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.badmintonengland.co.uk
Dr N A Smith
BS 7044: Part 4 Sports Lighting Consultancy
(Please note this document is currently being Tel: (+44) 01302-782514
reviewed and a further update is anticipated
Email: [email protected]
during 2005. It is understood this will result in a
harmonisation between the British Standard Saville Jones Architects
and the CEN 217 requirements) 74 Victoria Road
Worthing
CEN 217 West Sussex BN11 1UN
Addendum to CIBSE Lighting Guide 4: Tel: 01903 211363
Sports, 1990, issued February 2000 Email: [email protected]
(Please note this document is currently being Colleagues at Sport England Support
reviewed and a further updated document is Centre and Regional Offices
anticipated during 2005)

19
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