When it comes to basketball courts, there are a few different sizes to be aware of, depending on which part of the world you hoop in.
While most elements remain consistent, such as the basket’s size and height, other measurements such as the 3 point and free throw lines can vary. We’ll break it down and make it easy for the ballers in Australia to understand important court line markings based on FIBA’s regulation size dimensions and how these compare to the NBA.
Firstly, here in Australia our National Basketball League (NBL) adheres to FIBA regulations and rules, including their court size and line markings like the free-throw and three-point lines.
Basketball Court Dimensions in Meters
If you are seeking court sizes and line markings in meters, you’re in luck. Whether you are planning to construct a small custom-sized backyard half court, a FIBA regulation 3×3 half court, or even an NBA-sized full court, this is the right place to find all the metric dimensions you need for your chosen line markings. So, how big is a basketball court?
According to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) rules, a full-size regulation basketball court measures exactly 28 by 15 meters. Whilst in the NBA, the court dimensions are slightly larger at 28.7 by 15.2 meters.
In Australia, our backyard half-courts typically range in size from about 7 meters in length to accommodate the free-throw line (or 9 meters for the three-point line) and 4 or 5 meters in width and beyond. Other popular sizes include a 9m x 5m court, a 10m x 7m court, or if you have the space, a FIBA 3×3 regulation-sized half court comes in at 15m x 11m.
Basketball Court Lines, Hoops and Boards.
All lines on the courtin FIBA and the NBA should be 5cm in width and painted in a consistent (usually white) colour. The height of the baskets remains constant at 3.05 meters (10 feet) above the floor (except in certain youth competitions). Both FIBA and NBA regulation backboards have dimensions of 183 cm wide by 110 cm tall, whilst the diameter of all basketball rims is standardized at 46 cm. The inner rectangle graphic on a basketball backboard measures 61 cm in width and 46 cm in height
Three-Point Arc
The 3 point line is one of the biggest difference between FIBA and the NBA. The FIBA regulation three-point arc is positioned 6.75 meters away from the basket. Any shot made outside of this arc is worth three points instead of the standard deuce. However the the NBA’s three-point line is 7.24 meters, or an additional 49 centimetres required to drain the three, which really doesn’t seem to trouble too many of them e.g Steph!
Free-Throw Line
Oddly enough, FIBA and the NBA swap over slightly on free throws. FIBA’s free-throw line is situated 4.6 meters from the backboard whilst the NBA’s free throw line is slightly less, at 4.5 metres away. The width of the key (3.6m) can be adjusted to fit the available space in a yard without affecting gameplay.
Length of a Basketball Court
A FIBA regulation size basketball court has a length of 28 meters, while an NBA regulation size court is slightly longer and measures 28.7 meters in length.
Width of a Basketball Court
A FIBA regulation sized basketball court has a width of 15 meters, whereas an NBA regulation court has a width of 15.2 meters.
Deciding your ideal court size
Each home, yard and space is different, and we reccommend understanding these measurements when planning to construct a basketball court on your property. Weigh up the available space and proximity to neighbours, fences, pools, trees, roads and door / windows etc. Would you like a 3 point line or are you happy with a free throw line? How much width do you require and can you fit in additions such as netting and or edging?
The reality is that no two homes or yards are the same, and if you or your kids play ball here in Australia, it makes sense to stick to the FIBA sizing where possible.