BASKETBALL COURT DIMENSIONS & LINES

Regulation court sizes for NBA, WNBA, NCAA, high school and FIBA games vary slightly, which means there are some minor size differences between the courts used by the different organizations.

With this in mind, we’ve created this comprehensive guide to basketball court dimensions and lines. The guide covers the regulation dimensions of NBA, college, high school and FIBA/Olympic basketball courts in detail, whilst also explaining what each of the lines/markings found on a basketball court are used for.

Basketball Court Sizes By Governing Body

As you’ll see in this guide, the dimensions of a basketball court vary according to the governing body that regulates games that are played on a given court. The table below gives an overview of the different dimensions of basketball courts according to different regulators, making it easy to compare each type of basketball court.

*Distance from the center of the basketball hoop to the edge of the restricted area’s arc

**Distance from the hoop’s backboard

NBA Basketball Court Dimensions

The NBA is the most famous basketball league in the world, with televised games attracting millions of viewers. NBA courts are slightly larger than FIBA courts commonly used in Europe, Australia and the Olympics.

In terms of the NBA court’s dimensions, official courts have a length of 94ft and a width of 50ft. In yards, an NBA court is 31.33 yards long and 16.67 yards wide; which using the metric system equates to 28.65 meters in length and 15.24 meters in width.

For safety reasons, NBA basketball courts should also include a “buffer zone” around the perimeter to prevent any collisions with coaches, equipment and fans. Whilst other governing bodies have a specified minimum buffer zone size, the NBA doesn’t so this area can vary from one court to another.

NBA Court Dimensions In Feet

NBA Court Dimensions In Meters

College Basketball Court Dimensions

The dimensions of a college basketball court in the United States are dictated by the NCAA.

College basketball courts are the same size as NBA basketball courts with a length of 94ft and a width of 50ft. However the free throw lane/the key, is 16ft wide in the NBA & FIBA, but 12ft wide for college basketball courts. In addition, in the NBA, the 3-point-line is 23ft 9" from the hoop, in the NCAA the 3-point-line is 20ft 9" from the hoop.

College Basketball Court Dimensions In Feet

College Basketball Court Dimensions In Meters

Olympic Basketball Court Dimensions

Basketball courts used in both the Olympic Games and the qualifying games to make it to the Olympics are slightly smaller than those used by the NBA and NCAA.

Overseen by FIBA, Olympic basketball courts are 91ft 10" long and 49ft 3" wide, which is equivalent to 28m in length and 15m in width.

FIBA also regulates domestic games played in the UK, Europe and Australia. The regulated court sizes for domestic games are less strict than for courts used in the Olympics, with the length allowed to range from 26m-28m (85ft 4"-91ft 10") and the width from 14m-15m (45ft 11"-49ft 3").

Olympic Basketball Court Dimensions In Feet

Olympic Basketball Court Dimensions In Meters

High School Basketball Court Dimensions

High school basketball courts are smaller than NBA and Olympic basketball courts with a length of 84ft and a width of 50ft, which is equal to 25.60m in length and 15.24m in width.

Junior high basketball courts can vary in size depending on the state regulations; however, the standard size for a junior high basketball court is typically the same as a high school basketball court, which is 84ft (25.60m) in length and 50ft (15.24m) in width.

We’ve created the table below so you can quickly compare the relative sizes of NBA, college and school basketball courts.

Basketball Court Lines

Lines marked out on an NBA court should be 2 inches (5.08cm) in width.

If you are a fan or player, looking to familiarize yourself with the different areas or zones marked out by the basketball court lines; we’ve created the image below for an easy to interpret and visual guide:

Basketball Court Zones & Areas

Perimeter Lines - Sidelines & Endlines

The lines that run the length of the basketball court and mark the boundary are called the “sidelines", whilst the lines that are marked out behind each backboard are called the “endlines”, or sometimes the “baselines”.

Most senior basketball courts, including those used in the NBA and US colleges, have sidelines that are 94ft (28.65m) long and have endlines that are 50ft (15.24m) long.

Center Circle / Jump Circle

The center circle is sometimes referred to as the “jump circle”. As you might expect, the center circle is marked out directly in the center of the court and is used for the “tip off” at the start of each game. NBA courts use center circles with a diameter of 12ft (3.66m).

The Key/Free Throw Lane

Also called “the paint” or “the lane”, the key is the rectangle that encompasses the area below each basket/hoop. The key runs from the endline to the foul line at each end of the court.

The size of the key varies according to the league and level of competition. The key has several very important rules - for example, in the NBA, if a defensive player is not actively defending, he/she is only allowed to be in the area for a total of 3 seconds at a time. Interestingly, the NCAA and FIBA do not have this 3 second rule, which allows teams under their rules to field a defender who ‘roams’ within the paint to intercept and defend offensive plays.

The key is often called “the paint” as it is usually painted a different color to the rest of the court to make it stand out.

In the NBA the width of the key is 16ft (4.88m) with a length of 19ft (5.8m).

No Charge Arc / No Charge Area

Also called “the restricted area” and located within the key, the no charge area is represented by an arc that is marked out underneath each basketball hoop.

The no charge arc was introduced in 1997 to prevent defensive players from drawing a foul from offensive players by standing near the basketball hoop.

On NBA courts, the no charge area is marked out by:

• An arc with a radius of 4 ft (1.22m)
• Two lines, running parallel to the sidelines with the inner edge of each line 4ft (1.22m) from the point on the floor underneath the center of the hoop

The Free Throw Line

As the name suggests, the free throw line designates where a player should stand when taking a free throw or “foul shot”. On NBA courts the distance between the free throw line and the point on the floor directly underneath the backboard is 15ft (4.57m).

The 3 Point Line

One of the most important markings/lines on the basketball court, the 3 point line dictates whether a successful shot from open-play, scores 2 or 3 points. Shots taken from outside the 3 point line area are worth 3 points, those successfully executed from within the 3 point line are worth 2 points.

On NBA courts, the 3 point line is 23ft 9" (7.24m) away from the basket, except for in the corners of the arc, where it is 22ft (6.71m) away.

The distance of the 3 point line changed in the NBA during the 1990s, making the distance in the corners 22ft instead of 23ft, to encourage higher scoring games. The distance from the side of the 3 point line, to the sideline, is 3ft (0.91m).

Basketball Court FAQs

How many laps around a basketball court is a mile?

If you are looking to run a mile using an NBA or college basketball court as a gauge, then you will have to run around the court 18.33 times. If you are using a high school basketball court, you will have to run 19.7 laps to complete a mile.

How big is a half court basketball?

Using a half court is popular if there are less than 5 players on each team. A half court will typically measure 47ft x 50ft (14.33m x 15.24m) - which is half the length of an NBA or college basketball court and the full width.

How many basketball players are on a basketball court?

A total of 10 players, 5 players on each team are on the basketball court at one time during a regulated game, in a league such as the NBA.

It is possible in some instances to play with 4 or 3 players on a team, for example if a player “fouls out” (commits 5 or 6 fouls (depending on the regulating body) over the duration of the game), they will be instructed by the referee to leave the court, and the team must carry on without a replacement.

What are basketball courts made of?

Indoor basketball courts are usually made using a form of polished wood. In the NBA, at the time of writing, the vast majority of NBA courts are made from hard maple (also known as "sugar maple" and "rock maple"). Hard maple is said to offer the best combination of hardness and durability, with some level of shock-absorption to reduce the impact on players knees and ankles when running and jumping.

The playing surface of outdoor basketball courts are usually made from concrete, asphalt or a type of synthetic turf. Most basketball courts found in parks around the United States, are made from asphalt which is hardwearing and provides a fast & high bounce, similar to a wood like hard maple.

What’s the easiest way to set up a basketball court at home?

It’s easy to set up a small basketball court at home with an adjustable basketball hoop and a set of basketball court tiles. At Net World Sports we sell a wide range of basketball hoops including the bestselling FORZA Adjustable Basketball Hoop And Stand System. With 4 models available, the junior JS220 has an adjustable height that ranges from 5ft 5" to 7ft 2", whilst the JS305, JS305 PRO & JS420 Elite conform to NBA rim & height regulations, with adjustable heights from 7ft 7" to 10ft. If you want a basketball court with a professional look & feel, then you’ll be interested in the FORZA Basketball Court Modular Floor Tiles System [FIBA/NBA Standard]. The easy to assemble tiles feature a pre-painted design so you can easily see the key and the 3-point-throw line. Choose from an array of court sizes, including a mini-court (17ft 5" x 26ft 5"), half court or full-size court.