How long is a basketball court? A new basketball court is a major investment and one that can have a major impact on a community. Whether you’re building a court for a grade school or a semi-professional league, you need to understand the total space needed.
While there are standard sizes for a basketball court, the exact dimensions can vary depending on the use case. For instance, if you are creating a new indoor basketball court for your local high school, the dimensions required may be different than if you are creating an outdoor court for a public park.
This guide is designed to help sports facility operators decide which dimensions are correct for their new basketball court — let’s dive in!
If you are in a hurry and want to know how much your basketball court installation project will cost, try our cost calculator. You can also read our basketball court installation cost guide to understand better what influences the total cost of such a project.
What are the parts of a basketball court?
To see the full picture of a basketball court, you need to understand each part. Please note that the measurements below may vary depending on the level of play you are hosting at your gym’s basketball court.
Lane
This area is located at the front of the court and is a 16-foot lane that runs from the front-court baseline to the foul line.
Three-point arc
The three-point line is a semi-circle arc of 23 ft 9 in from the center of the basket.
Sidelines and Baselines
The sidelines and baselines of the court measure 94 feet long each.
Center circle
The center circle is five feet in diameter and centered on the midcourt line.
Key area
This coin-shaped area measures 12 feet long by 19 feet wide and contains the foul line, basket, backboard, and other court markings.
Division line
This line divides the court into two equal parts and is located in the middle of the court.
There are many smaller parts of a basketball court like the hash marks in the key, restricted area under the hoop, and the basket and backboard. However, the above components comprise a the major space requirements for a new court.
How Big is a Basketball Court?
An NBA basketball court is 94 feet long and 50 feet wide. In meters, it’s 28.65 m long and 15.24 m wide. The WNBA and NCAA use an identical court size—94 feet long by 50 feet wide.
High school courts are a bit shorter, measuring 84 feet long by 50 feet wide. Junior high courts are even smaller, typically measuring 74 feet long and 42 feet wide. A FIBA court (used during international play such as the Olympics) is 91.86 feet long and 49.21 feet wide.
How Tall is a Basketball Hoop?
For junior high, high school, NCAA, WNBA, NBA and FIBA, the rim is exactly 10 feet off the ground. Rims at every level of play are 18 inches in diameter. Backboards are also the same size at each of these levels. A regulation backboard measures 6 feet wide and 42 inches (3.5 feet) tall.
What is the Distance of the 3-Point Line?
he 3-point line distance varies among different levels of play. The NBA 3-point line is 23.75 feet from the hoop, 22 feet in the corners. The FIBA 3-point line is 22.15 feet from the hoop, 21.65 feet in the corners. The WNBA uses the same 3-point line as FIBA.
At the NCAA level, the 3-point line distance is 20.75 feet, for both men and women. At the high school level, the 3-point line distance is 19.75 feet, for both boys and girls. Junior high uses the same 3-point line distance as high school.
What is Distance of the Free-Throw Line?
The distance of the free-throw line is measured from a point on the floor directly below the backboard. At the junior high, high school, NCAA, WNBA and NBA levels, the free-throw line is 15 feet away from this point. At the FIBA level, the free-throw line is actually a bit further—15.09 feet from the point.
The size of the key, also commonly referred to as “the paint,” varies among levels of play. In the NBA, it’s 16 feet wide. Same goes for the WNBA. In FIBA, it’s 16.08 feet wide. At the NCAA level, the key is 12 feet wide. High school and junior high school use the same size key as the NCAA.
What Are The Dimensions Of A Half Court Basketball Court?
Half courts feature the same line marked dimensions of a full court, but only one end, with one basketball hoop. Purpose-built half courts are rarely long enough to be truly half of a full court. Foul line distance, 3 point arc etc all remain exactly the same as on a full Court. Some variations exist, in 3×3 Basketball competition for example, the free throw arc is not included and a restricted area is marked 11 m from the baseline.
How much space is Required for A Basketball Key Court?
Key Courts as the name suggests, require enough space to accommodate a basketball key. The table above indicates that a FIBA regulation key is 4.9 m wide by at least 4.6 m long. When planning key court lines, you need to consider the footprint of the basketball goal as this can directly impact the available space beyond the free throw line, where longer distance shooting practice takes place.
OnCourt’s smallest Basketball Key Court requires just 5.28 x 7.33 m, providing enough space to shoot from the 4.6m foul line. This small court is perfect for free throw and lay-up practice. To enable shooting from a section of the 3 point arc, the court needs to be extended to at least 9.38 m in length.
What Are The Dimensions Of A Basketball Court?
Beyond the differences in governing bodies, FIBA, NBA etc. court sizes in basketball can vary more than many sports. The focal area of the key has enabled condensed versions of the game, played on ‘half courts’ and the key area allows for further restricted, but usable space. Let’s start with a FIBA full basketball court before drilling down into the smaller spaces.
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