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Basketball: The Court

Sports >> Basketball >> Basketball Rules

Basketball courts vary in size depending on the gym and the level of play. However, some features remain the same. The size and height of the basket, the distance from the free throw line, etc.

Here is a picture of the dimensions and areas of the court used for high school basketball:


Basketball court dimiensions

Click picture for larger view


Size of the Basketball Court Three Point Arc

The three point arc is a certain distance from the basket. Any shot made outside of the arc is worth three points instead of the normal two. The distance from the basket to the three point arc changes for different levels of basketball play:
Free Throw Line

The free throw line is located 15 feet from the backboard. After certain types of fouls or violations, players will be awarded a shot, or shots, from the free throw line.

The Free Throw Lane or Key

The area between the free throw line and the base line is called the "lane" or the "key". How wide the key is depends on the level of play. It is 12 feet wide for college and high school basketball, but 16 feet wide in the NBA.

Offensive players are only allowed to be in the lane for 3 seconds before a shot hits the rim or they will get called for a three-second violation. Also, players line up on the side of the free throw lane during free throws. They are not allowed to enter the lane for a rebound until the shooter releases the shot.

The FIBA international free throw lane used to be trapezoidal shaped. This was changed recently and now they use the NBA shaped lane.

Free Throw and Center Circle

The circle at the top of the key is used for jump balls on that end of the court. The center circle is for the jump ball at the start of the game or jump balls at the center of the court.

The Basket

The basket is located 4 feet out from the baseline. The rim should be 10 feet high.

Out of Bounds

The bounds of the basketball court are described by the sidelines, running the length of the court, and the base lines (or end lines) at the end of the court.

FIBA Court
FIBA basketball court
Author: Robert Merkel
click for larger view


More Basketball Links:

Rules
Basketball Rules
Referee Signals
Personal Fouls
Foul Penalties
Non-Foul Rule Violations
The Clock and Timing
Equipment
Basketball Court
Positions
Player Positions
Point Guard
Shooting Guard
Small Forward
Power Forward
Center
Strategy
Basketball Strategy
Shooting
Passing
Rebounding
Individual Defense
Team Defense
Offensive Plays

Drills/Other
Individual Drills
Team Drills
Fun Basketball Games

Statistics
Basketball Glossary

Biographies
Michael Jordan
Kobe Bryant
LeBron James
Chris Paul
Kevin Durant

Basketball Leagues
National Basketball Association (NBA)
List of NBA Teams
College Basketball

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