What are the dimensions of a basketball court?

Court sizes in the US depend on the level of play. The professional and college game uses the longest court, high schools usually play on a slightly shorter one, and youth leagues and backyards use whatever fits. The lines inside the court change by level too.

Full court sizes by level

High school courts are not fixed at one size. Many are 84 by 50 feet, and Wikipedia notes that older gyms were often 84 or 74 feet long. The USA Basketball and NBA youth guidelines suggest 84 by 50 or 94 by 50 feet for ages 12 to 14 and a full 94 by 50 feet for grades 9 to 12.

The key and free-throw line

The key, or lane, is the painted rectangle under each basket.

• Lane width: 16 ft (4.88 m) in the NBA and WNBA; 12 ft (3.66 m) in college and high school.
• Free-throw line: 15 ft (4.57 m) from the face of the backboard at every level.
• Lane length: 19 ft (5.79 m) from the baseline to the free-throw line, because the backboard sits 4 ft (1.22 m) inside the baseline.
• Free-throw circle: 6 ft (1.83 m) radius, centered on the free-throw line.

The three-point line

This is where levels differ most.

NBA

The arc is 23 ft 9 in (7.24 m) from the center of the basket. In the corners the line runs straight, 3 ft (0.91 m) in from each sideline, which makes the corner three 22 ft (6.71 m).

College

Men’s NCAA basketball moved to the international distance of 22 ft 1.75 in (6.75 m) in Division I for 2019 to 2020, and women’s college basketball followed for 2021 to 2022. Because the college court is wider than a FIBA court, the corner sections sit a little closer to the sideline than in international play.

High school

The NFHS arc is 19 ft 9 in (6.02 m) from the center of the basket, including the corners. This is the arc most backyard courts use, because it fits a half court of about 30 by 42 feet or larger.

Rim, backboard and restricted area

• Rim height: 10 ft (3.05 m) at every level from age 12 up.
• Rim diameter: 18 in (45.7 cm) inside, according to the NBA rules.
• Backboard: 6 ft wide by 3.5 ft tall (1.83 by 1.07 m) in the NBA.
• Restricted area arc: 4 ft (1.22 m) radius from the center of the basket in the NBA and men’s college game.
• Center circle: 12 ft (3.66 m) across.

The center of the rim sits about 15 inches (0.38 m) out from the backboard, so it is about 5 ft 3 in (1.6 m) from the baseline. That point is where the three-point arc is measured from, so mark it first when laying out a court.

Youth court sizes

The USA Basketball and NBA youth guidelines scale the court and the rim down for younger players:

There is no three-point line in the guidelines until age 12.

Half court and backyard sizes

A regulation half court is half of a full court: 47 by 50 feet (14.33 by 15.24 m) for NBA and college, or 42 by 50 feet (12.8 by 15.24 m) for high school. Home courts are usually smaller:

• Shooting area: about 20 by 30 ft (6.1 by 9.1 m), enough for the key and a little either side.
• Small half court: 30 by 30 ft (9.1 by 9.1 m).
• Backyard half court: 30 by 50 ft (9.1 by 15.2 m), which takes a full-width high school arc.

Our half court guide covers which arc fits which size, and the backyard court page covers planning a home court.

Space around the court

The lines are not the edge of the space you need. Players run past the baseline and sidelines, and the hoop pole stands behind the baseline. FIBA’s outdoor guide works to a 2 m (about 6.5 ft) outer boundary around a full-size court and at least 1 m (about 3.3 ft) between the pole and the end line where space is tight. At home, a few feet on each side and more behind the hoop is a sensible minimum.

Planning a court of your own

If you are building, decide which game your players play most and mark that arc and lane width. Then check that the slab is big enough to include run-off space, because the slab, not the lines, is what you pay for. The basketball court cost calculator works out a typical price range from the size and surface, and our court installation page explains how a build runs from survey to first game.