Basketball Court Dimensions: NBA and FIBA Measurements Explained
Official basketball court dimensions for the NBA and FIBA, with the square footage worked out step by step, plus lane, arc and basket measurements.
An NBA court measures 94 feet long by 50 feet wide inside the boundary lines, according to the court diagram in the NBA Official Rulebook. The FIBA Official Basketball Rules set the international court at 28 metres long by 15 metres wide, taken from the inner edges of the boundary line. The two surfaces are similar in size but not the same, and many of the markings drawn on them also differ.
NBA Court Width and Length
Rule 1 of the NBA rulebook does not list the court size in its text. It directs that the floor be laid out and marked according to the official court diagram. On that diagram, the length is labelled 94 feet (inside) and the width 50 feet (inside). The NBA court width is therefore 50 feet, and the length is 94 feet.
The label “inside” tells you where the tape goes. Each figure runs from the inner edge of one boundary line to the inner edge of the line opposite, so the lines themselves sit outside the stated size. The diagram adds that every line is 2 inches wide, with the neutral zones as the exception.
A division line crosses the floor at the halfway point of its length. Each half of an NBA court is therefore 47 feet long and 50 feet wide.
How Many Square Feet Is a Basketball Court?
With the official dimensions known, the area comes from one multiplication. Here is the working for each standard.
NBA court area
- Length: 94 feet
- Width: 50 feet
- Area: 94 × 50 = 4,700 square feet
A half court at NBA size works out to 47 × 50 = 2,350 square feet.
FIBA court area
- Length: 28 metres
- Width: 15 metres
- Area: 28 × 15 = 420 square metres
To express that in feet, convert each side first using 1 metre = 3.2808 feet:
- 28 × 3.2808 = about 91.862 feet
- 15 × 3.2808 = about 49.212 feet
- 91.862 × 49.212 = about 4,521 square feet
That makes a FIBA court roughly 179 square feet smaller than an NBA court. These totals cover only the playing area inside the boundary lines. FIBA also calls for an obstruction-free strip at least 2 metres wide all the way around the court, so the full floor has to reach at least 32 metres by 19 metres, which is 608 square metres.
Markings on an NBA Court
The rulebook text and diagram give the positions of the main lines.
- Three-point line: a curve drawn 23 feet 9 inches out from the middle of the basket, meeting two straight lines that start at the baseline and run 3 feet in from each sideline. On those straight sections, the diagram gives the distance to the basket as 22 feet.
- Free throw line: a 2-inch line that runs parallel to the end line, 15 feet out from the face of the backboard. The diagram places it 19 feet from the baseline.
- Free throw lane: 16 feet wide, measured to the outside of its lines.
- Restricted area: a half-circle with a 4-foot radius around the center of the basket ring, continued by straight lines back to the face of the backboard.
- Hash marks: short marks 28 feet from each baseline that reach 3 feet onto the floor, plus two marks in front of the scorer’s table, 4 feet either side of the midcourt line, which together form the substitution box.
Markings on a FIBA Court
FIBA uses metric units, and its lines are 5 centimetres wide.
- Centre circle: drawn around the middle of the court with a radius of 1.80 metres, taken to the outside of the line.
- Free-throw line: a 3.60-metre line set parallel to the endline, positioned so that its far edge is 5.80 metres away from the endline’s inner edge.
- Restricted area: a rectangle beneath each basket. Its two long sides sit 2.45 metres out from the centre of the endline, so the marked area is 4.90 metres across.
- Three-point line: a curve with a 6.75-metre radius, centred on the spot on the floor directly below the middle of the basket, meeting straight lines that sit 0.90 metres in from each sideline.
- No-charge semi-circle: a 1.30-metre radius from the spot below the centre of the basket.
Basket and Backboard Measurements
The NBA rulebook also fixes the equipment above the floor. The top edge of each ring sits 10 feet off the floor and level with it. Each ring has an 18-inch inside diameter, and the closest part of its inner edge is 6 inches out from the backboard. The board is a flat, see-through rectangle 6 feet across and 3 and a half feet high. Behind the ring, a white 2-inch border marks out a rectangle 24 inches wide and 18 inches tall.
How the Two Standards Compare
The NBA and FIBA each publish their own rulebook, and each one defines its own court. Putting the figures above side by side:
- Units: the NBA measures in feet and inches, and FIBA measures in metres.
- Overall size: 94 by 50 feet for the NBA against 28 by 15 metres for FIBA, or 4,700 square feet against about 4,521.
- Three-point arc: 23 feet 9 inches in the NBA against 6.75 metres under FIBA.
- Lane or restricted area width: 16 feet in the NBA against 4.90 metres under FIBA.
- Line width: 2 inches in the NBA against 5 centimetres under FIBA.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many square feet is an NBA basketball court?
An NBA court is 94 feet long and 50 feet wide inside the boundary lines, so its playing area is 94 × 50 = 4,700 square feet. A half court at that size is 2,350 square feet.
What is the NBA court width?
The NBA court width is 50 feet, measured inside the sidelines. This figure comes from the court diagram in the NBA Official Rulebook, which also labels the length as 94 feet.
Is a FIBA court the same size as an NBA court?
No. A FIBA court is 28 metres by 15 metres, or 420 square metres, which converts to about 4,521 square feet. That makes it a little smaller than the 4,700 square feet of an NBA court.
