How Long Is A Basketball Court? Exploring 3 Popular Measurements
Most athletes and sports fans don’t often ask, “How long is a basketball court?”, preferring to simply enjoy watching or playing the game. The length of a playing field is more frequently discussed in football, where almost everyone knows the 100-yard length of a field, or in baseball, where ballpark dimensions can vary in certain circumstances and affect play.
While professional and collegiate basketball courts in the United States have the same length, other court dimensions for various levels of play domestically and around the world often vary.
How Long is a Basketball Court?
Most basketball courts contain a length in the range of 84 to 94 feet, with higher and more organized levels of basketball typically possessing a longer length. Older gyms, especially at lower levels of play, will often have shorter court lengths.
How Long is a Basketball Court in Meters?
In terms of the metric system, most basketball courts have a length of 25.6 to 28.7 meters. The metric system governs all facets of international basketball competition and is the system used outside the United States.
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How Long is a Basketball Court in Yards?
A basketball court is roughly 28 to 31.3 yards in length, making it a little less than one-third the size of a football field. Of all the major sports, basketball possesses the shortest playing field length.
Basketball Half Court Dimensions
Asking “How long is a basketball court?” takes on new meaning when referring to a half-court setting, the setting utilized in most practice sessions and pick-up/casual games. In its most basic sense, a half-court is exactly half the length of a full-court setting, which will vary in length depending on the level of play the gym houses. However, in some settings where a full-length basketball court can’t be housed due to space restrictions, a half-court may be utilized and may be slightly longer or shorter than a standardized half-court setting.
Professional Basketball Court Dimensions in the United States
There isn’t as big a need to ask, “How long is a basketball court?” when referring to professional basketball in the United States. The dimensions of an American basketball court are standardized throughout all levels of professional play.
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NBA Basketball Court Dimensions
All NBA basketball courts have a length of 94 feet and a width of 50 feet, with no exceptions. There are currently no organized levels of basketball that possess larger dimensions than those implemented by the NBA.
Dimensions WNBA Basketball
The WNBA contains the same court length and width as the NBA. However, there are occasional discussions about altering the dimensions of a WNBA court slightly, though nothing concrete has ever materialized.
Dimensions NBA G-League Basketball
As would be expected, NBA G-League Basketball does not vary from the NBA in its basketball court lengths. Because the G-League is meant as a developmental league for the NBA, it will most likely always keep the same court lengths as the NBA.
FIBA, College, and High School
The court dimensions for various levels of play apart from professional basketball in the United States often vary. When discussing basketball in these contexts, it is often necessary to ask, “How long is a basketball court?”
FIBA
The international basketball federation (FIBA) governs all international forms of competition between men’s and women’s national teams. FIBA courts are slightly smaller than NBA courts, with a length of 28 meters or 91.9 feet.
Dimensions College Basketball
Both men’s and women’s college basketball court dimensions are the same as professional basketball in the United States, with a length of 94 feet. This includes all divisions of college basketball governed by the NCAA, including Division 1, Division 2, and Division 3.
The greatest variance in length among organized basketball often occurs at the high school level, necessitating the inquiry, “How long is a basketball court?” in these circumstances. Although most modern high school basketball courts are going to come as close as possible to the dimensions of an NBA court, older courts typically are smaller. Many of these courts are around 84 feet in length, with some being as small as 74 feet. The successful basketball movie _Hoosiers _does a great job of featuring many of these smaller gyms common throughout rural America.
How far is the Free Throw Line from the Basket in High School?
While the overall length of a high school basketball court can vary, the distance from the free throw line to the basket is always the same, 15 feet.
While many individuals may not ask, “How long is a basketball court?”, assuming all courts are the same length, it is important to note that not all basketball courts possess the same dimensions. Courts utilized in professional and collegiate basketball in the United States are always 94 feet long.
FIBA courts are slightly smaller, at 91.9 feet, while high school courts can be as short in length as 74 feet. Asking “How long is a basketball court?” is important for those interested in youth basketball, as these leagues also implement much smaller courts than higher levels of play.
