What are the official basketball court dimensions?

A FIBA basketball court measures 28 m x 15 m (about 91.9 ft x 49.2 ft), while an NBA court is 94 ft x 50 ft, which converts to 28.65 m x 15.24 m. NCAA courts share the NBA footprint at 94 ft by 50 ft.

The NBA floor is roughly 65 cm longer and 24 cm wider than a FIBA floor. That gap sounds trivial, but it changes spacing, transition distance and how far defenders must recover on the break.

Every court is a rectangle measured to the inner edge of the boundary lines. The sidelines run the long dimension; the baselines behind each basket run the short dimension. A 2 m clear space beyond the lines is recommended so players can decelerate safely.

The halfway line splits the court, and the centre circle has a 1.80 m radius. Backcourt and frontcourt are defined by this line, which matters for the 8-second advance rule and backcourt violations.

For organisers marking a temporary court, the practical minimum is the 28 m x 15 m FIBA rectangle plus run-off. School and recreational gyms sometimes shrink this, but sanctioned games need full dimensions. If you are scoring a match on that floor, JudgeMate's basketball live scoreboard tracks points, the game clock and quarters for a single game.

Knowing the court size first makes every other marking easier to place correctly, because the arc, the paint and the free-throw line each reference the baseline or the basket.

The FIBA three-point line sits 6.75 m from the centre of the basket (6.60 m in the corners), while the NBA arc is 7.24 m / 23.75 ft at the top and 6.70 m / 22 ft in the corners. NCAA men shoot from 6.75 m (22.15 ft).

The corners are always closer, because the sideline would otherwise cut through the arc. FIBA flattens the corner distance to 6.60 m; the NBA to 6.70 m. This creates the valued corner three, a shorter, higher-percentage shot.

The 0.49 m gap between the FIBA top-of-arc distance and the NBA line is the single most noticeable court difference for players moving between codes. A shooter comfortable at FIBA range must step back nearly half a metre for an NBA-legal three.

The line is measured from a point directly below the centre of the rim, not from the backboard. The arc's radius is struck from that point, then joined to the parallel corner segments.

A basket counts as three points only when both feet are behind the line at release. If a foot touches the line it scores two, and landing on or over the line after the shot is fine.

For organisers repainting a floor, the three-point arc is the marking most often measured wrong, so verify the 6.75 m radius from the basket centre before the paint dries.

The FIBA key (paint) is a rectangle 4.9 m wide and 5.8 m long, measured from the baseline to the free-throw line. The NBA paint is 16 ft (4.88 m) wide, nearly identical in width. Both replaced the old trapezoid keyhole shape years ago.

The paint, also called the restricted area or lane, is where the three-second rule applies: an offensive player cannot stay inside it for more than three consecutive seconds while their team controls the ball.

Under the basket sits the no-charge (restricted-area) arc with a 1.25 m radius in FIBA play. A defender standing inside this arc cannot draw an offensive charging foul, which protects players attacking the rim.

The lane is bordered by lane-space marks where players line up for free throws. The bottom spaces are for defenders, the next for attackers, alternating up the lane.

Because the paint governs so many calls — three seconds, charges, rebounding position — its dimensions matter to referees as much as to painters. A lane marked too narrow squeezes rebounders; too wide and the free-throw line drifts out of regulation.

Centres and power forwards operate in this zone, so its dimensions shape rebounding and post play. When checking a court, confirm the paint is 4.9 m x 5.8 m under FIBA rules and that the restricted arc is present under each basket, because many older gyms predate the no-charge rule.

The free-throw line is 4.60 m (15 ft) from the backboard in every major code — FIBA, NBA and NCAA all agree. Measured from the baseline (inner edge), the line sits 5.80 m back, because the backboard is set 1.20 m into the court.

The line is 3.60 m long, centred on the basket, and forms the top edge of the paint. A free-throw circle with a 1.80 m radius is drawn around its midpoint; the half nearest the basket is solid, the far half often dashed for rebounding position.

A shooter must release the ball within five seconds and keep both feet behind the line until it leaves the hand. Stepping on or over the line before release is a violation that cancels the point.

Each successful free throw is worth one point. The number of attempts depends on where the foul happened and whether the team is in the bonus (penalty), which in FIBA begins on a team's fifth foul of the quarter.

The 15 ft distance has been constant since 1895, one of basketball's oldest fixed measurements, even as the three-point line and paint have changed. That stability makes the free-throw line a reliable reference point when laying out a floor.

To verify it, measure 4.60 m straight out from the backboard face, not from the baseline, and confirm the line is centred on the rim. A free-throw line even 10 cm off shifts the whole paint.

The rim height is 3.05 m (10 ft) to the top of the ring, measured from the floor, and it is universal across FIBA, NBA, NCAA and virtually every level of play. The rim's inner diameter is 45 cm (18 in).

The backboard measures 1.80 m wide by 1.05 m tall. Its face carries an inner rectangle of 59 cm x 45 cm, centred above the rim — the classic shooter's square used for bank shots and lay-ups.

The rim's inner edge sits 15 cm from the backboard face, and the backboard itself hangs 1.20 m inside the baseline, so the hoop reaches over the court, not flush against the board. The ring is orange-painted steel with a net of 12 loops.

Backboards are transparent tempered glass at professional level for visibility, though painted wood or acrylic is common in recreational gyms. A padded base and pole protection are required where the structure sits near the baseline.

The 3.05 m height has never changed since Dr James Naismith hung a peach basket at that height in 1891 — it happened to be the height of the gym's balcony rail. Every dunk, block and rebound geometry follows from that fixed number.

For organisers, the two checks that matter most are rim exactly 3.05 m and backboard 1.80 m x 1.05 m and level. A rim even 2 cm low measurably inflates shooting percentages, which is why sanctioned events verify it before tip-off.

The court and rim are close between FIBA and NBA, but the three-point line, court size and corner distances differ. The rim height (3.05 m), backboard (1.80 m x 1.05 m) and free-throw line (4.60 m) are identical; the arc and floor size are not.

The table below summarises the key measurements side by side.

Element	FIBA	NBA
Court size	28 m x 15 m	94 ft x 50 ft (28.65 m x 15.24 m)
3-point line (top)	6.75 m	7.24 m (23.75 ft)
3-point line (corner)	6.60 m	6.70 m (22 ft)
Rim height	3.05 m (10 ft)	3.05 m (10 ft)
Backboard	1.80 m x 1.05 m	1.80 m x 1.05 m
Free-throw line	4.60 m (15 ft)	4.60 m (15 ft)
Paint width	4.9 m	16 ft (4.88 m)
Restricted arc	1.25 m radius	1.22 m (4 ft) radius

The practical takeaways: an NBA three is nearly half a metre longer at the top, and the NBA floor is slightly bigger in both directions. Game length also differs (NBA 4 x 12 min, FIBA 4 x 10 min), which shapes pace even though it is not a court marking. See how basketball scoring works for the point values and basketball positions explained for how those spacing differences change each role.

For anyone running a FIBA-format game, mark to the 6.75 m arc and 28 m x 15 m floor, and keep the rim at the shared 3.05 m height.