Basketball Court Measurements & Dimensions
Basketball Court Measurements & Dimensions
Basketball Court: In basketball, the basketball court is the playing surface, consisting of a rectangular floor, with baskets at each end. In professional or organized basketball, especially when played indoors, it is usually made out of wood, often maple, and highly polished and completed with a 10-foot rim. Outdoor surfaces are generally made from standard paving materials such as concrete or asphalt.
Basketball is a team sports played between two teams of five players in an indoor rectangular court where each team tries to score by throwing the indoor basketball into the opponent’s goal, which is an elevated netted hoop called the basket. This team sport is one of the most popular and widely viewed sports across the globe.
Basketball Court
The court is a flat, hard surface free from obstructions, 28m long and 15m wide, measured from the inner edge of the boundary line.
The backcourt is the team’s own basket, inbounds part of the backboard and the part of the playing court limited by their own end line, sidelines, and centerline.
The frontcourt consists of the opponents’ basket, inbounds part of the backboard and the part of the playing court limited by the end lines behind the opponents’ basket, sidelines and the inner edge of the center line nearest to the opponents’ basket.
Lines
All lines are white, 5cm wide and clearly visible.
Boundary line
The playing court is limited by the boundary line, consisting of endlines and the sidelines. These lines are not part of the playing court.
Any obstruction including seated team bench personnel is at least 2m from the playing court.
The court is marked by a further boundary line in a contrasting color and is a 2m wide minimum.
The color of the further boundary line must be the same as that of the center circle (if painted) and the restricted areas.
Basketball Court Dimensions
Basketball courts come in different sizes. In the National Basketball Association (NBA), the court is 94 by 50 feet (28.7 by 15.2 m). Under International Basketball Federation (FIBA) rules, the court is slightly smaller, measuring 28 by 15 meters (91.9 by 49.2 ft). In amateur basketball, court sizes vary widely. The baskets are always 10 feet (3.05 m) above the floor (except possibly in youth competition). Basketball courts have a three-point arc at both baskets. A basket made from behind this arc is worth three points; a basket made from within this line, or with a player’s foot touching the line, is worth 2 points. The free-throw line, where one stands while taking a foul shot, is located within the three-point arc at 15 feet from the plane of the backboard. A foul shot is worth 1 point, but if a shot is made from the foul line while in play it is still worth 2 points.
| Area | NBA | FIBA | WNBA | NCAA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial | Metric | Imperial | Metric | Imperial | Metric | Imperial | Metric | ||
| Court length | 94 ft | 28.65 m | 91.86 ft | 28 m | Same as NBA | ||||
| Court width | 50 ft | 15.24 m | 49.21 ft | 15 m | Same as NBA | ||||
| Rim height | 10 ft | 3.05 m | Same as NBA | ||||||
| No Charge Zone arc | 4 ft | 1.22 m | 4.10 ft | 1.25 m | Same as NBA | ||||
| Center circle diameter | 12 ft | 3.66 m | 11.81 ft | 3.6 m | Same as NBA | ||||
| 3-point line distance from the basket | 23.75 ft 22 ft in corner* |
7.24 m 6.70 m in corner* |
22.15 ft 21.65 ft in corner† |
6.75 m 6.60 m in corner† |
Same as FIBA | 20.75 ft | 6.32 m | ||
| Key (shaded lane or restricted area) width |
16 ft | 4.88 m | 16.08 ft | 4.9 m | Same as NBA | 12 ft | 3.66 m | ||
| Free-throw line distance from a point on the floor directly below the backboard | 15 ft | 4.57 m | 15.09 ft | 4.6 m | Same as NBA | ||||
Basketball Court Near Me
Basketball is a great form of exercise and is also a lot of fun especially when you play with friends. However, finding a suitable court that fits your needs and preferences isn’t as easy as it sounds. Sure, you can type “basketball courts near me” in a search engine and get a list of courts in your area, but those lists usually don’t tell you the specific information regarding the court. As you search, keep certain things in mind and look for courts that have features that are important to you.
Nowadays, there really is an app for everything. There are a few different smartphone apps available to help you find basketball courts near you.
One of them is called CourtFinder. This is an app that allows you to search for basketball courts no matter where you are. It’s great if you’re away on vacation or on a business trip and are looking for different basketball courts in an unfamiliar area. You can view photos and videos of the courts to get an idea of how they look and if they’re in good playable condition. There is also a feature where you can upload the location of a new court and add photos of your own to help the database grow. This specific app is available on both Apple and Android devices.
Another similar app is Hoop Maps. This helps you locate local courts while also allowing you to see if there are games actively going on at each court. Similarly, users can use the app to schedule games of their own with friends or other players in the same geographical area. Hoop Maps also connects with social networks like Facebook so users can share their games and invite friends easier. It’s popular across the globe and currently has over 10,000 users. This is currently only available for Apple devices but it is rumored that an Android app is coming out soon.
Besides smartphone apps, you can also find courts near you by doing a simple internet search on your favorite browser. This will give you a list of local options including general information about each court. You can, of course, ask your friends, people in your community, or your social network friends for their favorite court locations.
High School Basketball Court Dimensions
Generally, basketball court appearance for the high school is the same as the court used in the collegiate and professional levels. Though for high school, the court is slightly smaller. All high school leagues around the world follow the same dimensions.
- The basketball court’s entire area is 84 feet by 50 feet.
- The free-throw line is 15 inches from the backboard.
- The free throw lane or key is 12 inches wide.
- The basketball rim is 10 feet high, the same height as of the NBA.
- The backboard is 72 inches wide by 42 inches tall.
- The basketball rim is 18 inches in diameter and 6 inches from the backboard.
- The 3 point line is 19 feet, 9 inches while the center circle is 6 feet in radius.
Basketball Court Diagram
Indoor Basketball Court
Most indoor basketball courts are housed in larger facilities like fitness gyms, schools, recreation centers, churches, and sports complexes. All indoor basketball courts have different features but the best courts will have fully-functioning, undamaged playing surfaces, and equipment. For example, a good basketball court won’t have warped floorboards or broken backboards. Similarly, the facility itself will be well-kept and properly maintained in terms of safety and health standards.
If you prefer playing with genuine leather basketballs and are used to league-style play, indoor basketball courts are the better option. Genuine leather basketballs should only be used indoors as they aren’t durable enough to withstand the punishment outdoor courts put on a ball. Similarly, outdoor courts can do more damage to your body since moving around on concrete or asphalt is harder on your joints than hardwood or laminate floorboards are.
Outdoor Basketball Courts
If you’re looking for a last-minute pickup game or are looking to shoot around on your own, outdoor basketball courts are great. You can find an outdoor court in most playgrounds, parks, and schoolyards. There are also Sports complexes with outdoor courts, too.
Courts attached to playgrounds and parks are usually free and open to the public while schoolyards may only be available during certain times of the day and sports complexes might charge a fee to use the court. That being said, these courts are usually more accessible than indoor courts.
When looking for a good outdoor basketball court, you should make sure that it is in good shape. Outdoor courts are open to the elements and are more likely to be damaged from them as well as the wear and tear from use. Since these courts are usually maintained by the local government through a park’s department or similar organization, repairs may take time. This lack of maintenance leaves many courts in such a state that you can’t play on them. Similarly, many are missing backboards, nets, and even hoops in some cases. Before settling on a court, stop by and check it out beforehand to see if it’s up to your standards.
With indoor courts becoming more popular due to their better conditions and controlled environments outdoor courts have fallen slightly out of favor in basketball culture. Instead of playgrounds teeming with players looking to get picked for a game, nowadays, courts are almost completely abandoned with a handful of players shooting around a ball.
This change in culture has a lot to do with the poor playing conditions of the courts. It’s easier to get injured playing on a deteriorating court. Running on cracked asphalt or concrete can lead to trips and falls turned ankles, and similar injuries that can keep you off the court for weeks. Sadly, basketball courts in bad neighborhoods pose other risks due to gun violence or gang-related altercations.
Another reason outdoor courts have fallen out of favor is that more young players are choosing to play in organized indoor leagues in order to gain exposure for college scholarships. This type of exposure and playing environment is simply not available with most outdoor basketball courts where you play more for fun or for “street cred.” Similarly, college basketball players are sometimes told that they can’t play in outdoor summer leagues or play on an outdoor court in their free time due to the increased risk of injury.
