Basketball court
Encyclopedia
In basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

, the basketball court is the playing surface, consisting of a rectangular floor with tiles at either end. In professional or organized basketball, especially when played indoors, it is usually made out of a wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...

, often maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...

, and highly polished. Outdoor surfaces are generally made from standard paving materials such as concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...

 or asphalt
Asphalt concrete
Asphalt concrete is a composite material commonly used in construction projects such as road surfaces, airports and parking lots. It consists of asphalt and mineral aggregate mixed together, then laid down in layers and compacted...

 (i.e., blacktop
Asphalt concrete
Asphalt concrete is a composite material commonly used in construction projects such as road surfaces, airports and parking lots. It consists of asphalt and mineral aggregate mixed together, then laid down in layers and compacted...

/tarmac
Tarmac
Tarmac is a type of road surface. Tarmac refers to a material patented by Edgar Purnell Hooley in 1901...

).

The object of the game is to shoot the ball through the hoop at either end of the court. When the game was first invented, actual peach baskets were used. Dr. James Naismith's
James Naismith
The first game of "Basket Ball" was played in December 1891. In a handwritten report, Naismith described the circumstances of the inaugural match; in contrast to modern basketball, the players played nine versus nine, handled a soccer ball, not a basketball, and instead of shooting at two hoops,...

 original rules specified that "A goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from the grounds into the basket and stays there, providing those defending the goal do not touch or disturb the goal." However, because it proved to be inconvenient to continually retrieve the ball from the baskets, the baskets were soon replaced by metal hoops (usually with dangling netting attached to direct the ball straight down.) The hoops are attached to rectangular (or sometimes fanshaped) backboards made of either metal, fiberglass, acrylic, or tempered glass.

The basketball court comes in different shapes and sizes. In the N.B.A., the court is 94 feet by 50 ft (28.65 m by 15.24 m). Under International Basketball Federation (FIBA)
International Basketball Federation
The International Basketball Federation, more commonly known as FIBA , from its French name Fédération Internationale de Basketball, is an association of national organizations which governs international competition in basketball...

 rules, the court is minutely smaller, measuring exactly 28 m by 15 m (91'10.4" by 49'2.6"), although national federations are allowed to use smaller courts, as long as they are at least 26 m by 14 m (85'3.6" by 45'11.2"). A high school court is slightly smaller, at 84' by 50' and some elementary schools have courts measuring 74' x 42'. In amateur basketball, court sizes vary widely. The baskets are always 10' (3.05m) above the floor (except possibly in youth competition).

Diagram of basketball court and backboard

Layout prescribed by the rules
Rules of basketball
The rules of basketball are the rules and regulations that govern the play, officiating, equipment and procedures of basketball. While many of the basic rules are uniform throughout the world, variations do exist. Most leagues or governing bodies in North America, the most important of which are...

 of the International Basketball Federation
International Basketball Federation
The International Basketball Federation, more commonly known as FIBA , from its French name Fédération Internationale de Basketball, is an association of national organizations which governs international competition in basketball...

, the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...

, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

.
(NBA)

Dimensions

Area |NBA | FIBA |WNBA | Men's NCAA | Women's NCAA and U.S. H.S. | U.S. junior H.S.
Imperial Metric Imperial Metric Imperial Metric Imperial Metric Imperial Metric Imperial Metric
Court length 94 ft 28.65 m 91.86 ft 28 m Same as NBA 94 ft - NCAA, 84 ft HS 25.6 m 74 ft 22.56 m
Court width 50 ft 15.24 m 49.21 ft 15 m Same as NBA 42 ft 12.8 m
Rim height 10 ft 3.05m Same as NBA
Restricted area distance from the basket 4 ft 1.22 m 4.10 ft 1.25 m Nonexistent
Center circle diameter 12 ft 3.66 m 11.81 ft 3.6 m Same as NBA
3-point line distance from the basket 23.75 ft
22 ft Sides
7.24 m
6.70 m*
20.5 ft
22.15 ft (from Oct. 2010)
6.25 m
6.75 m ,base line 6.60m from Oct. 2010)
20.5 ft 6.25 m 20.75 ft 6.32 m 19.75 ft 6.01 m Same as high school
Key (shaded lane or
restricted area) width
FT line 16 ft 4.88 m 11.81 ft 3.6 m Same as NBA 12 ft 3.66 m Same as NCAA
End line 19.69 ft 5 m
Free-throw line distance from point on the floor directly below the backboard 15 ft 4.57 m 15.09 ft 4.6 m Same as NBA
* The NBA three-point line is 3 ft (0.91 m) from the sideline in a zone starting at the baseline and ending when it crosses the 23 in 9 in (7.24 m) arc. The 22 ft (6.7 m) measurement applies only at a point where a line parallel to the baseline intersects the long axis of the court and the center of the basket.

Center circle

The only two players permitted to enter this area prior to the tipoff are the players contesting the jump ball (usually but not always centers). They both have to jump when the referee throws the ball in the air to attempt to push the ball into the hands of a player of their own team.

Three-point line

The three-point line is the line that separates the two-point area from the three-point area
Three-point field goal
A three-point field goal is a field goal in a basketball game, made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc radiating from the basket...

; any shot converted beyond this line counts as three points. If the shooting player steps on the line, it is counted as two points only. Any foul made in the act of shooting beyond the three-point line would give the player three free throws if the shot doesn't go in, and one if it does.

The distance to the three-point
Three-point field goal
A three-point field goal is a field goal in a basketball game, made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc radiating from the basket...

 from the center of the basket varies depending on the level or league, and has changed several times. These are the current distances, with the league or level using each distance:

19.75 feet (6 m): NCAA (women), high school

20.5 feet (6.2 m): International, WNBA

20.75 feet (6.3 m): NCAA (men)

22 feet (6.7 m) to 23.75 feet (7.2 m): NBA

The NBA adopted the three-point line at the start of the 1979-80 season. This is of variable distance, ranging from 22 feet (6.7 m) in the corners to 23.75 feet (7.2 m) behind the top of the key. During the 1994–95, 1995–96, and 1996-97 seasons, the NBA attempted to address decreased scoring by shortening the overall distance of the line to a uniform 22 feet (6.7 m) around the basket. It was moved back to its original distance after the 1996-97 season.

In college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....

 as well as in most high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

 associations in the United States, the distance is 19.75 feet. On May 26, 2007, the NCAA playing rules committee agreed to move the three-point line back one foot to 20.75 feet for the men. This rule went into effect for the 2008-2009 season. The three-point line for women (NCAA) remains at 19.75 feet.

The international distance, used in most countries outside the United States and in FIBA competition, is currently 20.5 feet (6.25 m). The same goes for the WNBA.

Perimeter

The perimeter is defined as the areas that are farthest to the basket but outside of the free throw lane and inside the three-point line. Shots converted in this area are called "perimeter shots" or "medium-range shots".
If a player's foot is on the three-point line, it could also be considered a "perimeter shot".

Low post area

The low post is defined as the areas that are closest to the basket but outside of the free throw lane. This area is fundamental strategy in basketball. Skilled low post players can score many points per game without ever taking a jump shot.

Key

The key
Key (basketball)
The key, officially referred to as the free throw lane by the National Basketball Association and the National Collegiate Athletic Association , the restricted area by the international governing body FIBA, and colloquially as the shaded lane and the paint, is an area in a basketball court...

 or shaded lane refers to the frequently painted area beneath the basket; for NBA, it is 16 feet (4.9 m) wide, for the NCAA it is 12 feet (3.7 m) wide; for both instances it is 15 feet (4.6 m) from the backboard. At the top of the rectangle is the free-throw line, behind which players shoot uncontested shots when they're fouled in the act of shooting or any other penalty. A circle is drawn beyond the free-throw line with a 6 feet (1.8 m) radius
Radius
In classical geometry, a radius of a circle or sphere is any line segment from its center to its perimeter. By extension, the radius of a circle or sphere is the length of any such segment, which is half the diameter. If the object does not have an obvious center, the term may refer to its...

; this is used for jump ball instances similarly done at the center circle. There are two 6 in hashes, 3 ft from the free throw line. These marks serve no purpose, though NBA Rule 1 (g) requries them to be drawn.

For FIBA tournaments, since October 2010 the key has been a rectangle 4.9 m wide and 5.8 m long. Previously it was a trapezoid 3.7 meters (12 ft) wide at the free-throw line and 6 meters (19 feet and 6.25 inches) at the end line.

The key is primarily used to prevent players from staying beneath the basket of the opponents' team for long periods (maximum 3 seconds).

Restricted area arc

The restricted area arc is an arc 4 feet (1.22 m) from the center of the basket. With some exceptions, defending players can't force offensive fouls in this area.

Other lines

At NBA floors, two lines are drawn at the end lines near the key - the area directly behind the lines designates the spot where teams on the offensive can inbound the ball.

A similar line parallel to the verticals of the three-point line in NBA floors serves with the same purpose; also this line demarcates the farthest extent a coach (aside from the sidelines) can stay. Directly behind this area is the team bench.

On the half-court line at NBA floors there are 2 lines extending outside the playing court designating the place where substitutes wait before they can enter the playing court; directly behind this area are the various off-court officials such as the timekeeper and reserve referee.

Future changes

On April 26, 2008, FIBA announced several major rules changes involving the court markings. These changes will take effect for major international competitions on October 1, 2010, after that year's World Championships for men
2010 FIBA World Championship
The 2010 FIBA World Championship, hosted by Turkey, was the international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams. The tournament ran from August 28 to September 12, 2010. It was co-organized by the International Basketball Federation , Turkish Basketball Federation and the...

 and women
2010 FIBA World Championship for Women
The 2010 FIBA World Championship for Women, the 16th edition of FIBA's premier tournament for women's national basketball teams, was held from September 23 to October 3, 2010 in the Czech Republic. Three cities, Ostrava, Brno and Karlovy Vary, hosted games...

, and become mandatory for other competitions on October 1, 2012 (although national federations can adopt the new markings before 2012). The changes will be:
  • The shape of the key will the change from a trapezoid to a rectangle as it is in the NBA, with NBA dimensions.
  • The three-point line will move back to 6.75 metres (22 ft 1.7 in) from the current 6.25 metres (20 ft 6.1 in), compared to 23 in 9 in (7.24 m) for the NBA at the top of the arc.
  • FIBA will adopt the NBA's restricted area arc with a marginally wider radius of 1.25 metres (4 ft 1.2 in).

See also

  • Assembly hall
    Assembly Hall
    An assembly hall is traditionally a building used for the purposes of holding deliberative assemblies. An example is the Assembly Hall where the general assembly of the state of Mississippi was held. Some Christian denominations call their meeting places or places of worship, assembly halls, such...

  • List of indoor arenas in the United States#Major college indoor arenas

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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