What a racket is: parts and the limits set by the laws
The five parts of a racket, the maximum sizes and what may or may not be attached.
Why learn the parts first
Racket descriptions use the same words again and again: head, shaft, throat, grip. Knowing them makes later lessons on weight, balance and strings much easier to follow. The laws also fix a maximum size, which is why all rackets look alike from a distance.
The five parts
According to Law 4 of the BWF Laws of Badminton, edition in force 26 April 2025, the racket is a frame made of:
- The handle, the part you grip.
- The stringed area, the part that hits the shuttle.
- The head, which bounds the stringed area.
- The shaft, which connects the handle to the head.
- The throat (if present), which connects the shaft to the head.
The size limits
- The frame is at most 680 mm long and 230 mm wide overall.
- The stringed area is at most 280 mm long and 220 mm wide. It must be flat and made of crossed strings, either interlaced or bonded where they cross.
- The strings may extend into the throat area if that extension is at most 35 mm wide and the total length of the stringed area stays at or below 330 mm.
What may be attached
The racket must be free of attached objects, except those used only to limit or prevent wear and tear or vibration, to distribute weight, or to secure the handle to the player's hand by a cord. They must be reasonable in size and placement. The racket must also have no device that lets the player materially change its shape (Law 4.3).
What the laws do not say
The laws do not fix the weight, the balance, the stiffness of the shaft or the string tension. Those choices belong to the maker and the player, and they are the subject of our lessons on weight and balance, on specifications and on strings. Rackets are also checked: the world federation rules on any question of whether a racket complies (Law 5).
What to take from this
- Any racket you buy for play must stay within these sizes. If you see an unusual frame, ask whether it is for another sport.
- The five words above will help you read any description.
- Do not add anything to the frame that changes its shape or is not covered by the list above if you plan to enter an event; ask the organisers.