Basketball Court Dimensions: Official Size Guide for NBA, NCAA, FIBA, and High School

Basketball courts are not all the same size. The exact basketball court dimensions depend on the level of play — an NBA court is 10 feet longer than a high school court, and international FIBA courts follow metric measurements that don't match either. Below is every regulation size, broken down clearly by level.

Standard Basketball Court Dimensions — Quick Reference

Here is a full side-by-side comparison across all major levels of play. According to Wikipedia's Basketball Court reference, the NBA court measures 94 × 50 feet while the FIBA court is slightly smaller at 28 × 15 meters — a difference that shapes everything from player positioning to shot selection.

Level	Governing Body	Length	Width	Total Area
NBA	NBA	94 ft (28.65 m)	50 ft (15.24 m)	4,700 sq ft
WNBA	WNBA	94 ft (28.65 m)	50 ft (15.24 m)	4,700 sq ft
NCAA	NCAA	94 ft (28.65 m)	50 ft (15.24 m)	4,700 sq ft
FIBA	FIBA	91.9 ft (28 m)	49.2 ft (15 m)	~4,520 sq ft
High School	NFHS	84 ft (25.6 m)	50 ft (15.24 m)	4,200 sq ft
Junior High	NFHS	74 ft (22.56 m)	42 ft (12.8 m)	~3,108 sq ft

Measurements That Stay the Same Across Every Level

Before getting into what changes, it helps to know what does not. Several core measurements are consistent whether you're watching the NBA Finals or a junior high game.

Measurement	Standard Value
Basket height	10 ft above the floor
Free throw line to backboard face	15 ft
Backboard dimensions	6 ft wide × 3.5 ft tall
Inner backboard rectangle	24 in wide × 18 in tall
Basket ring inside diameter	18 in
Restricted area arc radius	4 ft from basket center
Line width	2 inches

What's often overlooked is how much uniformity exists at the equipment level. The rim is always 10 feet high. The free throw line is always 15 feet from the backboard. These measurements don't shift — and that consistency is what allows players to transition between levels without relearning the fundamentals.

Why Court Dimensions Differ Across Levels

Four separate governing bodies set the rules — the NBA, FIBA, NCAA, and NFHS — and they each serve different priorities. Basketball is played across more than 200 countries, and as data from Statista's basketball participation research shows, the sport draws an estimated 610 million players worldwide — which makes standardized but adaptable court rules a practical necessity, not just an administrative formality.

FIBA uses metric measurements as its official standard, which creates slight numerical differences even when the intent is similar. The NBA and NCAA both use 94-foot courts, but the NBA's wider key and longer three-point line reflect the athleticism and spacing demands at the professional level.

High school courts are shorter because most school gymnasiums simply weren't built to accommodate 94-foot floors, and a slightly smaller court suits developing players better in practice.

In practice, this means a player moving from high school to college adjusts not just to a longer court, but to a three-point line that's more than two feet farther out.

NBA Basketball Court Dimensions

Overall Court Size

• Length: 94 ft (28.65 m)
• Width: 50 ft (15.24 m)
• Total area: 4,700 sq ft

The Key (Free Throw Lane)

The key — also called the paint or the lane — is the rectangular area under each basket.

• Width: 16 ft
• Length: 19 ft (from baseline to free throw line)

The NBA uses a wider key than college and high school courts. At 16 feet, it's designed to prevent dominant post players from camping too close to the basket — a change that happened gradually as the game evolved.

Free Throw Line and Circle

• Distance from backboard face: 15 ft
• Distance from front of rim: 13 ft 9 in
• Free throw circle diameter: 12 ft
• Line width: 2 inches

Three-Point Line

• Arc distance from basket center: 23 ft 9 in
• Corner distance: 22 ft
• Sideline parallel extension: 3 ft from the sideline

The corner three is shorter than the arc because the court simply runs out of room near the baseline. It's not a design preference — it's a geometric constraint.

Restricted Area Arc

• Radius: 4 ft from the center of the basket
• Runs parallel to the lane line toward the backboard

Defensive players cannot draw a charging foul inside this arc, with limited exceptions. This rule exists at all major levels, not just the NBA.

Hash Marks and Substitution Box

• Sideline hash marks: 28 ft from the baseline, extending 3 ft onto the court
• Baseline hash marks: 3 ft from the lane line, extending 6 in onto the court
• Hash marks parallel to baseline: 13 ft from baseline, 3 ft from lane lines, 6 in long
• Substitution box: 4 ft on each side of the midcourt line

Center Circle

• Diameter: 12 ft
• Midcourt line divides the court into two 47-ft halves

NBA Equipment Specifications

• Backboard: 6 ft × 3.5 ft, transparent, with a 2-inch white inner rectangle (24 in × 18 in)
• Basket ring: 18-inch inside diameter, painted orange
• Rim height: 10 ft above the floor
• Net length: 18 inches
• Ball pressure: 7.5 to 8.5 pounds
• LED requirement: Red strips for game clock expiration, amber for shot clock

WNBA Basketball Court Dimensions

Overall Court Size

• Length: 94 ft (28.65 m)
• Width: 50 ft (15.24 m)

The WNBA uses the same court footprint as the NBA. The differences are in the markings and the ball.

Key Differences from the NBA

• Three-point line arc: 22.15 ft (6.75 m)
• Three-point corners: 21.65 ft (6.60 m)
• Key width: 12 ft (vs. 16 ft in the NBA)
• Ball size: Size 6 (slightly smaller than the NBA's size 7)

The WNBA three-point line aligns closely with FIBA standards — intentionally, since many WNBA players compete internationally.

NCAA Basketball Court Dimensions

Overall Court Size

• Length: 94 ft (28.65 m)
• Width: 50 ft (15.24 m)

Same dimensions as the NBA on paper. But the markings tell a different story.

Key Markings

• Three-point line: 22 ft 1.75 in — uniform around the entire arc, including corners
• Key width: 12 ft
• Free throw line: 15 ft from backboard face

Key Differences from the NBA

• Narrower key (12 ft vs. 16 ft)
• Shorter three-point line
• No substitution box marking requirement
• No LED backboard lighting requirement

Interestingly, the NCAA three-point distance is nearly uniform all the way around — there's no corner shortcut the way there is in the NBA. That changes shot selection and defensive schemes considerably.

FIBA Basketball Court Dimensions

Overall Court Size

• Length: 28 m (91.9 ft)
• Width: 15 m (49.2 ft)

FIBA courts are measured in meters first. The foot equivalents are approximations, not exact conversions.

The Key — Trapezoid vs. Rectangle

This is one of the more significant structural differences in international basketball. FIBA uses a trapezoidal key, which is wider at the baseline and narrows toward the free throw line. NBA, NCAA, and NFHS courts all use a rectangular key.

• Width at baseline: 4.9 m (approximately 16 ft)
• Width at free throw line: 3.6 m (approximately 12 ft)

Three-Point Line

• Arc: 6.75 m (22.15 ft)
• Corners: 6.60 m (21.65 ft)

Metric as the Standard

All official FIBA measurements are in meters. Any foot conversion you see — including in this article — is a working approximation.

High School Basketball Court Dimensions (NFHS)

Overall Court Size

• Length: 84 ft (25.6 m)
• Width: 50 ft (15.24 m)
• Total area: 4,200 sq ft
• Minimum ceiling height: 24 ft

High school courts governed by the NFHS are 10 feet shorter than NBA and NCAA courts. The width stays the same at 50 feet, but the shorter length means each half-court is just 42 feet rather than 47.

The Key

• Width: 12 ft
• Length: 19 ft (baseline to free throw line)

Three-Point Line

• Distance: 19 ft 9 in — uniform for both the arc and the corners

This is the shortest three-point line among major levels. The uniformity (no corner shortcut) is consistent with NCAA rules — corners and the arc are the same distance.

Free Throw Line and Circle

• Distance from backboard face: 15 ft
• Distance from front of rim: 13 ft 9 in
• Free throw circle diameter: 12 ft

Restricted Area Arc

• Radius: 4 ft from basket center — identical to NBA and NCAA

Center Circle and Midcourt

• Center circle diameter: 12 ft
• Midcourt line splits the court into two 42-ft halves

Junior High Basketball Court Dimensions

• Length: 74 ft (22.56 m)
• Width: 42 ft (12.8 m)

Junior high court dimensions vary more than any other level — state associations don't always mandate a single standard. The 74 × 42 ft measurement is the most commonly referenced guideline, but local gyms frequently deviate.

A few other differences worth noting: some youth programs lower the basket height to 8 or 9 feet, and the three-point line is either not used or placed at a reduced distance depending on the program.

Three-Point Line Distance — All Levels Compared

Level	Arc Distance	Corner Distance	Notes
NBA	23 ft 9 in (7.24 m)	22 ft (6.71 m)	Longest arc in use
WNBA	22.15 ft (6.75 m)	21.65 ft (6.60 m)	Matches FIBA
NCAA	22 ft 1.75 in (6.75 m)	22 ft 1.75 in	Uniform — no corner shortcut
FIBA	22.15 ft (6.75 m)	21.65 ft (6.60 m)	Metric primary
High School (NFHS)	19 ft 9 in (6.01 m)	19 ft 9 in	Shortest — uniform distance

Half-Court Basketball Dimensions

Half-court sizes follow directly from the full court lengths.

Level	Half-Court Length	Width
NBA / NCAA / WNBA	47 ft	50 ft
FIBA	~46 ft	49.2 ft
High School (NFHS)	42 ft	50 ft

Recreational Half-Court Dimensions

For anyone planning a backyard or driveway court, these are the working benchmarks most builders use:

• Minimum functional size: 30 ft × 30 ft
• Standard recreational half-court: 42 ft × 50 ft
• Recommended out-of-bounds buffer: 3 ft on sidelines, 5 ft behind the baseline

Basketball Court Dimensions for Planning and Construction

Recommended Out-of-Bounds Clearance

The court itself is only part of the space needed. Safety clearance around the boundary lines is essential — especially behind the baselines where players regularly run out of bounds at speed.

Court Type	Court Size	Recommended Buffer	Total Slab Size
NBA Regulation	94 × 50 ft	10 ft baseline, 8 ft sideline	114 × 66 ft
High School	84 × 50 ft	6 ft baseline, 6 ft sideline	96 × 62 ft
Recreational Full	84 × 50 ft	5 ft all sides	94 × 60 ft
Recreational Half	42 × 50 ft	5 ft all sides	52 × 60 ft

Facility planners commonly find that the total slab requirement catches people off guard. A high school court sounds manageable at 84 × 50 feet — but once you account for run-off space and sideline seating, the actual footprint is considerably larger.

Minimum Ceiling Height

• NFHS minimum requirement: 24 ft
• Recommended for regulation play: 25 to 27 ft
• Backyard or recreational setting: No formal standard, but 15 ft is generally considered a practical minimum to avoid arc interference on shots

Conclusion

Basketball court dimensions vary by level — from 94 feet at the NBA and NCAA level down to 84 feet for high school and 74 feet for junior high. Core measurements like rim height, free throw distance, and backboard size stay fixed across all levels. When planning a court, always factor in out-of-bounds clearance beyond the boundary lines.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are NBA and NCAA courts the same size?

Yes — both measure 94 × 50 feet. The difference is in the markings: the NBA has a 16-foot-wide key and a longer three-point line (23'9"), while the NCAA uses a 12-foot key and a 22'1.75" three-point arc.

How long is a high school basketball court?

A regulation high school court measures 84 feet long and 50 feet wide, governed by NFHS standards. This is 10 feet shorter than NBA and NCAA courts.

How far is the three-point line in high school vs. the NBA?

The high school three-point line sits at 19 feet 9 inches — uniform around the entire arc. The NBA arc is 23 feet 9 inches, with corners at 22 feet.

What is the size of the key in basketball?

The key (paint area) is 16 feet wide in the NBA and 12 feet wide in the NCAA, WNBA, and high school. Length from baseline to free throw line is 19 feet at all levels.

What is the minimum space needed for a backyard basketball court?

A functional half-court needs at least 30 × 30 feet. A standard recreational half-court is 42 × 50 feet, with a recommended 5-foot buffer around all sides added to the total slab dimensions.