Basketball court dimensions and sizes have evolved over the years to reflect the level of play, location, and the value attached to the game. However, most times, it is the level of play that determines the size and court dimensions.
To make things more comprehensive, we have decided to explain the various sizes and dimensions with illustrations and diagrams for various leagues such as the NCAA, NBA, WNBA, and FIBA.
Table of Contents
Basketball Court Sizes
The basketball court size depends on the type of court measured, although there are standards. Factors like the age range, budgets, and other constraints involved are considered when those building courts are planning.
Comparing Basketball Court Sizes
Below is a table comparing basketball court sizes and dimensions for NCAA (men), NCAA (women), NBA, WNBA, and FIBA/International.
| Court Dimensions | NCAA (m) | NCAA (w) | NBA | WNBA | FIBA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Court length | 94ft | 94ft | 94ft | 94ft | 91.86ft |
| Court width | 50ft | 50ft | 50ft | 50ft | 49.21 ft |
| Rim height | 10ft | 10ft | 10ft | 10ft | 10ft |
| Restricted area (from basket) | 4ft | None | 4ft | None | 4.1ft |
| Center circle diameter | 12ft | 12ft | 12ft | 12ft | 11.81ft |
| 3-Point line | 20ft, 9in | 19ft, 9in | 23ft, 9in | 22ft, 13.25in | 22.15ft |
| Key width | 12ft | 12ft | 16ft | 16ft | 19.69ft |
| Free throw line (from backboard) | 15ft | 15ft | 15ft | 15ft | 15.09ft |
Basketball Court Dimensions
If we are to go by regulation, a basketball court’s dimensions are measured at 94×50 feet in length and width, respectively.
Court sizes vary according to the level and league playing; for example, the court dimensions for the NBA, WNBA, and college measures the standard 94×50 feet in length and width, respectively. Also, bear in mind that the free-throw lane, which is usually marked with paint, is usually 16 feet across while the backboard area, that is, the foul line, is at 15 feet and 2 inches in width.
It is also worthy to note that the Basketball courts of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the Olympic basketball courts are 91.9×49.3 (28x15m), which is slightly smaller in size.
Basketball Court Diagram
Mixed Basketball Court Diagram
The image below shows a combined basketball court diagram comparing FIBA, NBA, and NCAA dimensions.
- The top half of the illustration shows the markings for the NBA, FIBA, and common.
- The bottom half of the illustration shows the markings for NCAA (men) and NCAA (women)
NBA Court Dimensions Diagram
Below is the official diagram of the NBA court dimensions.
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WNBA Court Diagram
You can find the WNBA basketball court diagram with dimensions in the official rule book.
NCAA Court Diagram
Find the NCAA basketball court diagram with dimensions for men and women here.
FIBA Court Diagram
Basketball Court Dimensions for High Schools
High School and Junior High School Basketball gyms are measured at 84×50 feet in length and width, respectively, with the court’s markings reflecting the dimensions.
The court length for those at a lower level of play other than college or professional level is 10 feet shorter, which means it is 74×50 feet in length and width, respectively.
Hoop Heights & Sizes for Basketball Courts
The distance between the gym floor and the rim is 10 feet. This is the standard for high schools (junior and senior), NCAA, NBA, WNBA, and FIBA basketball ball courts. In some situations, when youngsters are playing, the rim height could be lowered to 8 or 9 feet to accommodate their size.
Although these days, we see children playing in courts with the 10 feet rim. It is generally believed that if children could adapt to the standard, they would become more comfortable when they play as adults. This claim is up for debate, though.
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NBA Basketball Hoop, Rim Sizes & Widths
The rim size is the same for all game levels, for the Junior High, High School, NCAA, WNBA, the NBA, and FIBA; they all use an 18-inch rim size in diameter.
Half-Court Dimensions
For high school courts, half-court dimensions are 42 feet in length while the one for professionals is 47 feet in length. For the youths, it is 42 ft. in length and 37 ft. in width. Half courts in high schools are much larger at 50 ft. in length and 42 ft. in width.
Backyard Court Dimensions
Backyard courts are typically 90×50 feet, both in length and width, respectively but can also be fitted to whatever size of your choice.
Court sizes for middle schools are 74 ft. in length and 42 ft. in width while high school courts are 84 ft. in length and 50 ft. in width, making them slightly larger.
Basketball 3-Point Line & Free Throw Distance
The shooting line in every basketball court is measured from the free-throw line. The shooting line is the line that intersects the spot directly under the backboard. In the WNBA and NBA, the free-throw distance is measured at 15 feet, which is the standard.
The 3-point line distance is 19.9 ft for high school from the basket and NCAA males and females, 20 ft. and 9 inches from the basketball hoop.
The WNBA, from the basket, is 22.15 ft. and 21.65 ft. from the corners, while the pro-shoot from beyond the arc for the NBA is 23.75 ft from the basket and exactly 22 ft. from the corners.
Basketball Ball Sizes, Diameter & Circumference
Ball sizes differ for the male, female, and youth leagues. For the NBA, the men’s league, college, and boys’ leagues play with 9.43-9.51 inch diameter basketball, with the width measured from left to right and a circumference of 29.5 inches (75cm).
Spalding manufactures the official NBA ball with the same abovementioned measurements.
For the NCAA and WNBA, the ball used is roughly between 9.07 and 9.23 inches in diameter with a circumference of about 28.5 inches.
And then finally, for the youths, the boys’ leagues use a ball measured 28.5 inches in circumference while the girls’ leagues use one of 27.5 inches in circumference. Children aged 5 to 8 years of age use the smallest size, which is about 25.5 inches in circumference.
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Notable Basketball Courts You Need To See
1. Rucker Park, New York: This is a popular court in NY city. Names such as Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul Jabaar, Nate Archibald, and Connie Hawkins have all graced this fantastic Basketball court. It is a must-see for the legacy it preserves.
2. United Center, Chicago, Illinois: Who doesn’t know this Basketball court? It’s on record that the great Michael Jordan bagged 6 NBA titles on this turf during his illustrious career. No wonder some people refer to it as the Jordan Court.
3. Madison Square Garden, New York: This place needs no introduction. It is a center for many sporting events such as boxing, UFC, Basketball, etc.
4. Pauley Pavilion, California: This court might not be as popular as the ones above, but names such as Bruins and John Wooden made enough waves on this court.
5. The Staples Center, California: The Staples will always leave a mark in the memory wherever it is mentioned in the United States.
Game Timing
There are various total game times for every level of play, and it is also important to remember that television Ad breaks, timeouts, half times, and other play pauses that draw out the aggregate time of a game, which is about double or triple the time played.
There are 8-minutes quarters played four times for high school games, which totals to 32 minutes of game time. For the NCAA, 20-minute halves played twice in college games, making 40 minutes of time played.
For a WNBA game, a 40-minute game consists of 10 minute quarters played four times, and then 12 minute quarters played four times, totaling 48 minutes for an NBA game.
There you have the different basketball court dimensions, sizes, and diagrams. Tell us what you think in the comment section below.
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