Where are matches played?
Teams may be based out of any facility that has at least one or two regulation badminton courts.  Multiple teams may play home matches at the same facility.  If a league includes teams from more than one facility, there will be home and away matches.

The NBL has divided the United States and Canada into ten regions.  Each region contains numerous states and/or provinces, and each state/province is further divided into districts.  When a team enters the league, it is automatically placed in a pre-determined district league.  For information on NBL regions and districts, click here.
 

When are matches played?
There are two league seasons each year: Spring (January through June) and Fall (July through December).  The team registration period for the Spring Season is the month of January (and sometimes February), and the team registration period for Fall Season is the month of July (and sometimes August).  Teams in each league will have a choice in determining the preferred day of the week for matches. 

What are the playing levels?
The NBL has five league levels: 6.5, 5.5, 4.5, 3.5, and 2.5.  Each level is open to players who are rated at or below the league level.
Click here for a description of playing levels. 
 

What divisions and formats are offered?
The NBL has 30 league divisions and a variety of formats. Click on any of the divisions listed below for format descriptions:
 

Spring Season January and February: Registration (see Regulations) February through May 15: League Matches Late May: State/Province Playoffs June: Regional Championships and NBL Finals Boy's 6.5 Boy's 5.5 Boy's 4.5 Boy's 3.5 Boy's 2.5 Girl's 6.5 Girl's 5.5 Girl's 4.5 Girl's 3.5 Girl's 2.5 Men's 6.5 Men's 5.5 Men's 4.5 Men's 3.5 Men's 2.5 Women's 6.5 Women's 5.5 Women's 4.5 Women's 3.5 Women's 2.5

Fall Season July and August: Registration (see Regulations) August through November 15: League Matches Late November: State/Province Playoffs December: Regional Championships and NBL Finals Junior Mixed 6.5 Junior Mixed 5.5 Junior Mixed 4.5 Junior Mixed 3.5 Junior Mixed 2.5 Adult Mixed 6.5 Adult Mixed 5.5 Adult Mixed 4.5 Adult Mixed 3.5 Adult Mixed 2.5

What are the costs?
All participants must pay online team registration fees.  Participants may play on more than one team per season, but are limited to only one league level per season (e.g. if a player competes on a Men's 3.5 team in one league, he may not play on a Men's 3.5 team in another league during the same season) .  Registration fees are paid by selecting the Join a Team icon on the NBL Recreational League page.  Listed below are the registration fees for each season:
 

The home team is responsible for shuttles.
 

How many matches will teams play?
The number of matches depends on how many teams are participating in each local league.  Click here to see the number of matches and number of weeks allocated for each league size.

Are there opportunities to advance?
The winning team from each district league will advance to State/Province Playoffs. Winners from the State/Province Playoff qualify for the Regional Playoffs, and the regional winners will advance to the NBL Championships.  Click here for a listing of NBL districts and regions. 

If there are no other district leagues in a state or province, a winning team will advance directly to the regional championships.  If there are no other winning teams entered in a regional championship, the team will advance directly to the NBL Finals.

How can I find a team to play on?
NBL is developing a League Finder page that will allows players to post their own ads (looking for teams to play on), and they will also be able to search ads that have been posted by teams (looking for players to join them).  Please keep checking back.  The League Finder will soon be available on the NBL Recreational League page.

How can my team find players?
Click here to download a flyer that can be posted at your facility.  NBL is developing a League Finder page that will allows players to post their own ads (looking for teams to play on), and they will also be able to search ads that have been posted by teams (looking for players to join them).  Please keep checking back.  The League Finder will soon be available on the NBL Recreational Leagues page.

We have a small group of players at our facility and there are no other teams in our district.  How can we still participate?
Your group would need to form two teams, and that would comprise the only league in your district.  Then, when the winning team from your league advances to the State/Province Playoffs, you may add any two players from any other team in your district league (which, in your case, would be two of your group members).

Return to top of page