Key (basketball)
Encyclopedia
The key, officially referred to as the free throw
lane by the National Basketball Association
(NBA) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA), 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
underneath the basket bounded by the endlines, the foul lanes and the free throw line. Usually painted (although unpainted on some courts with painted perimeters), it is a critical area on the court, where much of the action takes place in a game.
The key, in all games, starting with FIBA's amendments to its rules in 2006 (to be first implemented after the 2010 FIBA World Championship
), is rectangular. Prior to 2006, the key in FIBA-sanctioned tournaments (mostly basketball played outside the United States, and almost all international tournaments including the World Championships and the Olympics) was trapezoid
al in shape. Both NBA and FIBA keys are 16 feet (4.9 m) wide, while NCAA keys are narrower at 12 feet (3.7 m).
The most-commonly enforced rule on the key is the "three seconds rule
" in which a player from the offensive team is prohibited from staying on the key for more than three seconds, or else the player's team will lose possession of the ball. Another rule enforced is the lane violation in which players from both teams are prohibited to enter the lane until after the free throw
shooter releases the ball from his hands (the shooter is prohibited to enter the key until after the ball hits the rim). A new innovation is the introduction of the restricted area arc directly underneath the basket where the defending player cannot force an offensive foul on the opposing player.
, while on FIBA
-sanctioned events, which uses the metric system
, the shape was trapezoid
al, before being changed into a rectangular shape. In additional to the rectangle, the key also includes the free-throw circle, the "head" or "top" of the key.
The size of the key in the NBA is 16 feet (4.9 m), including the 2 foot (0.6096 m) wide foul lanes; in U.S. college
(NCAA) and high school play, it is 12 feet (3.7 m). After the 2010 World Championship, all FIBA-administered tournaments will use a key 4.9 metres (16.1 ft) wide.
From 1956 until 2010, FIBA-sanctioned tournaments used a trapezoidal key. The narrowest side is on the free-throw line where it is 3.6 metres (11.8 ft); at the end lines, it is at its widest, at 6 metres (19.7 ft).
The free throw circle, centered at the midpoint of the free throw line, is with a universally-recognized 6 feet (1.8 m) radius
from the free throw line, with boundaries of the half of the free throw circle farthest from the backboard traced in solid lines. In the NBA, the boundaries of the half closer to the basket must also be traced in a broken line in order to space players for jump balls. NBA Rule 1 (g) requires the key to contain two 6 inches (15.2 cm) long hash marks, 3 foot (0.9144 m) from the free throw line; the marks serve no apparent purpose. The free-throw line is 15 feet (4.6 m) from the face of the backboard; the face of the backboard is 4 feet (1.2 m) away from the end-line for NBA and NCAA. The center of the basket is 1.575 metres (5.2 ft) away from the end line in FIBA tournaments, while 4.75 feet (1.4 m) in NBA and NCAA tournaments.
, measuring six feet (1.8 m) wide, hence "the key
", with the free circle as the head, and the shaded lane as the body. Due to the narrowness of the key, imposing centers
, such as George Mikan
, dominated the paint, scoring at will. To counter this, the key was widened into 12 feet (3.7 m) from 6 feet (1.8 m) at the onset of the 1951–52 NBA season.
Men's professional basketball in the United States (notably the National Basketball Association
) widened it further to 16 feet (4.9 m) on the 1964–65 NBA season to lessen the effectiveness of centers, especially Wilt Chamberlain
. The NCAA retains the old 12 feet key to this day.
On April 25, 2008, the FIBA Central Board approved rule changes that included the changes in the shape of the key; the key is now rectangular and has virtually the dimensions as the key used in the NBA. In addition, the no-charge semicircles or the restricted area arc is also created.
.
In American professional basketball, the defending team is also prohibited from staying in the key for more than three seconds, unless a player is directly guarding an offensive player. If a player surpasses that time, his team will be charged with a defensive three-second violation, which will result in a technical foul
where the team with the ball shoots one free throw
plus ball possession and a reset of the shot clock
. In FIBA-sanctioned tournaments, on the other hand, the defending team is allowed to stay on the key for an unlimited amount of time. In all cases, the count resets if the shot hits the rim or if the player steps out of the lane.
When a player is shooting free throws, there are a certain number of players under the basket beyond the boundaries of the key, each occupying a slot traced at the boundaries of the key. In most cases, the free throw shooter is behind the free throw line, while three of his opponents are beneath the basket, one side with two players, the other with one. Two of his opponents are situated nearest to the basket on both sides, while his two teammates are beside the two opponents closest to the basket, with the other player from the opposing team situated farthest from the basket. In the U.S. NCAA, there are as many as six players beyond the key, with the opposing team opting to have as much as four players, with the same arrangement as in the NBA and FIBA but with another player facing his teammate farthest to the basket. (See photographs to the right.)
All players on the foul lanes must not enter the key until the shot is released; the player shooting the free throw should not cross the free throw line until the ball hits the rim. If any of the offensive players violate the rule, it will result in a turnover, for defending players, the free-throw will be retaken if the shot was missed.
Note that in FIBA play, if the shooter commits the violation, it is an automatic turnover. If the shot is successful and the shooter does not commit a violation, but other players do commit a violation, all violations are discarded. If players from the opposing teams enter the key at the same time, a jump ball
would be done to determine who gets the possession of the ball (NBA) or the possession arrow rule (for all other levels), and in FIBA play, that only applies if the shooter misses since a successful attempt negates all other penalties. In all situations, lane violation penalties cannot occur if there are further free throws to be awarded.
three feet from the basket (collegiate) or four feet from the basket (professional). The defending player in the restricted area arc cannot force a charging foul on the opposing team's player, even if the defending player has established position, thus allowing the offensive player to have full control of the area inside the basket.
made on the key are termed as points in the paint or inside points. The area around the free throw circle's farthest point from basket is called the "top of the key", and several plays revolve around this area, such as screens
and pick and roll
s. In American women's collegiate basketball (and for men until 2008), the three-point arc intersects at the top of the key, which could translate plays conducted in this area as three-point field goal
conversions.
Free throw
In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...
lane by 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...
(NBA) 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...
(NCAA), the restricted area by the international governing body
Sport governing body
A sport governing body is a sports organization that has a regulatory or sanctioning function. Sport governing bodies come in various forms, and have a variety of regulatory functions. Examples of this can include disciplinary action for rule infractions and deciding on rule changes in the sport...
FIBA, and colloquially as the shaded lane and the paint, is an area in a basketball court
Basketball court
In basketball, 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, often maple, and highly polished...
underneath the basket bounded by the endlines, the foul lanes and the free throw line. Usually painted (although unpainted on some courts with painted perimeters), it is a critical area on the court, where much of the action takes place in a game.
The key, in all games, starting with FIBA's amendments to its rules in 2006 (to be first implemented after the 2010 FIBA World Championship
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...
), is rectangular. Prior to 2006, the key in FIBA-sanctioned tournaments (mostly basketball played outside the United States, and almost all international tournaments including the World Championships and the Olympics) was trapezoid
Trapezoid
In Euclidean geometry, a convex quadrilateral with one pair of parallel sides is referred to as a trapezoid in American English and as a trapezium in English outside North America. A trapezoid with vertices ABCD is denoted...
al in shape. Both NBA and FIBA keys are 16 feet (4.9 m) wide, while NCAA keys are narrower at 12 feet (3.7 m).
The most-commonly enforced rule on the key is the "three seconds rule
Three seconds rule
The three seconds rule requires that in basketball, a player shall not remain in the opponents' restricted area for more than three consecutive seconds while his team is in control of a live ball in the frontcourt and the game clock is running.The three-second...
" in which a player from the offensive team is prohibited from staying on the key for more than three seconds, or else the player's team will lose possession of the ball. Another rule enforced is the lane violation in which players from both teams are prohibited to enter the lane until after the free throw
Free throw
In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...
shooter releases the ball from his hands (the shooter is prohibited to enter the key until after the ball hits the rim). A new innovation is the introduction of the restricted area arc directly underneath the basket where the defending player cannot force an offensive foul on the opposing player.
Dimensions
Each level of play has different specifications on the size and shape of the key; in American leagues, where the basketball court is measured via imperial units, the shape is rectangularRectangle
In Euclidean plane geometry, a rectangle is any quadrilateral with four right angles. The term "oblong" is occasionally used to refer to a non-square rectangle...
, while on 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...
-sanctioned events, which uses the metric system
Metric system
The metric system is an international decimalised system of measurement. France was first to adopt a metric system, in 1799, and a metric system is now the official system of measurement, used in almost every country in the world...
, the shape was trapezoid
Trapezoid
In Euclidean geometry, a convex quadrilateral with one pair of parallel sides is referred to as a trapezoid in American English and as a trapezium in English outside North America. A trapezoid with vertices ABCD is denoted...
al, before being changed into a rectangular shape. In additional to the rectangle, the key also includes the free-throw circle, the "head" or "top" of the key.
The size of the key in the NBA is 16 feet (4.9 m), including the 2 foot (0.6096 m) wide foul lanes; in U.S. college
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....
(NCAA) and high school play, it is 12 feet (3.7 m). After the 2010 World Championship, all FIBA-administered tournaments will use a key 4.9 metres (16.1 ft) wide.
From 1956 until 2010, FIBA-sanctioned tournaments used a trapezoidal key. The narrowest side is on the free-throw line where it is 3.6 metres (11.8 ft); at the end lines, it is at its widest, at 6 metres (19.7 ft).
The free throw circle, centered at the midpoint of the free throw line, is with a universally-recognized 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...
from the free throw line, with boundaries of the half of the free throw circle farthest from the backboard traced in solid lines. In the NBA, the boundaries of the half closer to the basket must also be traced in a broken line in order to space players for jump balls. NBA Rule 1 (g) requires the key to contain two 6 inches (15.2 cm) long hash marks, 3 foot (0.9144 m) from the free throw line; the marks serve no apparent purpose. The free-throw line is 15 feet (4.6 m) from the face of the backboard; the face of the backboard is 4 feet (1.2 m) away from the end-line for NBA and NCAA. The center of the basket is 1.575 metres (5.2 ft) away from the end line in FIBA tournaments, while 4.75 feet (1.4 m) in NBA and NCAA tournaments.
| NBA 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... , FIBA (2010-) | |NCAA 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... (U.S.) | |FIBA (until 2010) |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
| In the NBA basketball courts, such as the United Center United Center The United Center is an indoor sports arena located in Chicago. It is named after its corporate sponsor, United Airlines. The United Center is home to both the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League... , the key is rectangular, with a restricted area arc nearest to the basket. In the NBA the half-circle nearest the basket's hash marks are required (jump balls in the free throw lane), but sponsors use the inside arc for advertising in FIBA play. |
In NCAA basketball courts like Bartow Arena Bartow Arena Bartow Arena is an 8,508-seat multi-purpose arena in Birmingham, Alabama. It is home to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers men's and women's basketball teams as well as the women's volleyball team. The arena is named after Gene Bartow, the coach who largely built the school's men's... , the free throw circle's half nearest the basket's hash marks are omitted because there is no jump ball held in the free throw lane. |
In FIBA-affiliated leagues, courts such as the Nokia Arena Nokia Arena The Yad Eliyahu Arena , commercially Nokia Arena , is a 11,700-seat multi-purpose indoor arena in southeastern Tel Aviv, Israel. The arena is home to the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club, a member of the Maccabi Tel Aviv sports club... had trapezoidal keys. No half circle is required, but many sponsors use that section of the arc for advertising. |
History
Originally, the key was narrower than it is today and had the shape of a skeleton keySkeleton Key
Skeleton Key is a rock band based in New York City. The band is the brainchild of bassist and singer Erik Sanko, who is the only constant member of the band...
, measuring six feet (1.8 m) wide, hence "the key
Key (lock)
A key is an instrument that is used to operate a lock. A typical key consists of two parts: the blade, which slides into the keyway of the lock and distinguishes between different keys, and the bow, which is left protruding so that torque can be applied by the user. The blade is usually intended to...
", with the free circle as the head, and the shaded lane as the body. Due to the narrowness of the key, imposing centers
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
, such as George Mikan
George Mikan
George Lawrence Mikan, Jr. , nicknamed Mr. Basketball, was an American professional basketball player for the Chicago American Gears of the National Basketball League and the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBL, the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball Association...
, dominated the paint, scoring at will. To counter this, the key was widened into 12 feet (3.7 m) from 6 feet (1.8 m) at the onset of the 1951–52 NBA season.
Men's professional basketball in the United States (notably 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...
) widened it further to 16 feet (4.9 m) on the 1964–65 NBA season to lessen the effectiveness of centers, especially Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
. The NCAA retains the old 12 feet key to this day.
On April 25, 2008, the FIBA Central Board approved rule changes that included the changes in the shape of the key; the key is now rectangular and has virtually the dimensions as the key used in the NBA. In addition, the no-charge semicircles or the restricted area arc is also created.
Three-second violation
The key is a restricted area in which players can stay for only a limited amount of time. On all levels, a team on the offensive (in possession of the ball) is prohibited to stay inside the key for more than three seconds; after three seconds the player will be called with a three-second violation which will result in a turnoverTurnover (basketball)
In basketball, a turnover occurs when a player from one team gives possession to a member of the opposing team by losing the ball. This can result from the ball being stolen, the player making mistakes such as stepping out or throwing the ball out of bounds, or committing a violation or committing...
.
In American professional basketball, the defending team is also prohibited from staying in the key for more than three seconds, unless a player is directly guarding an offensive player. If a player surpasses that time, his team will be charged with a defensive three-second violation, which will result in a technical foul
Technical foul
In basketball, a technical foul is any infraction of the rules penalized as a foul which does not involve physical contact during the course of play between players on the court, or is a foul by a non-player. The most common technical foul is for unsportsmanlike conduct...
where the team with the ball shoots one free throw
Free throw
In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...
plus ball possession and a reset of the shot clock
Shot clock
A shot clock is used in some sports to quicken the pace of the game. It is normally associated with basketball, but has also found use in sports such as snooker, professional lacrosse, water polo, and korfball....
. In FIBA-sanctioned tournaments, on the other hand, the defending team is allowed to stay on the key for an unlimited amount of time. In all cases, the count resets if the shot hits the rim or if the player steps out of the lane.
Lane violation
All players on the foul lanes must not enter the key until the shot is released; the player shooting the free throw should not cross the free throw line until the ball hits the rim. If any of the offensive players violate the rule, it will result in a turnover, for defending players, the free-throw will be retaken if the shot was missed.
Note that in FIBA play, if the shooter commits the violation, it is an automatic turnover. If the shot is successful and the shooter does not commit a violation, but other players do commit a violation, all violations are discarded. If players from the opposing teams enter the key at the same time, a jump ball
Jump ball
A jump ball is a method used to begin or resume play in basketball. It is similar to a face-off in ice hockey or ball-up in Australian rules football...
would be done to determine who gets the possession of the ball (NBA) or the possession arrow rule (for all other levels), and in FIBA play, that only applies if the shooter misses since a successful attempt negates all other penalties. In all situations, lane violation penalties cannot occur if there are further free throws to be awarded.
Restricted area arc
In the NBA, Euroleague, and starting in 2010, in FIBA play, the key has an additional area, colloquially called as the restricted area arc, officially called as the "restricted area" in the NBA and as the "no-charge semicircles" in FIBA, measured as an arcArc (geometry)
In geometry, an arc is a closed segment of a differentiable curve in the two-dimensional plane; for example, a circular arc is a segment of the circumference of a circle...
three feet from the basket (collegiate) or four feet from the basket (professional). The defending player in the restricted area arc cannot force a charging foul on the opposing team's player, even if the defending player has established position, thus allowing the offensive player to have full control of the area inside the basket.
Terms
PointsPoint (basketball)
Points in basketball are used to keep track of the score in a game. Points can be accumulated by making field goals or free throws ....
made on the key are termed as points in the paint or inside points. The area around the free throw circle's farthest point from basket is called the "top of the key", and several plays revolve around this area, such as screens
Screen (sports)
A screen is a blocking move by an offensive player, by standing beside or behind a defender, to free a teammate to shoot, receive a pass, or drive in to score. In basketball, it is also known as a pick. Screens can be on-ball , or off-ball...
and pick and roll
Pick and roll
The pick and roll in basketball is an offensive play in which a player sets a screen for a teammate handling the ball and then slips behind the defender to accept a pass...
s. In American women's collegiate basketball (and for men until 2008), the three-point arc intersects at the top of the key, which could translate plays conducted in this area as three-point field goal
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...
conversions.