of the National Basketball Association.]] In basketball, the basketball court is the playing surface, consisting of a rectangular floor, with baskets at each end. Indoor basketball courts are almost always made of polished wood, usually maple, with -high rims on each basket. Outdoor surfaces are generally made from standard paving materials such as concrete or asphalt concrete. International competitions may use glass basketball courts.
Basketball courts have a three-point arc at both baskets. A basket made from behind this arc is worth three points; a basket made from within this line, or with a player's foot touching the line, is worth 2 points. The free-throw line, where one stands while taking a foul shot, is located within the three-point arc at 15 feet from the plane of the backboard. A foul shot is worth 1 point, but if a shot is made from the foul line while in play it is still worth 2 points.
Same as NBA | ||||||||
Same as NBA | ||||||||
Same as NBA | ||||||||
Men: Same as NBA | ||||||||
22.9 cm | ||||||||
Same as NBA | ||||||||
Same as FIBA | ||||||||
3.66 m | ||||||||
Same as NBA | ||||||||
Diagram |
The distance to the three-point line 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:
The NBA adopted the three-point line at the start of the 1979–80 season. This is of variable distance, ranging from in the corners to 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 around the basket. It was moved back to its original distance after the 1996–97 season. FIBA and the NCAA both adopted the three-point line in 1986.
Most high school associations in the USA have a distance of 19.75 feet. This was formerly the distance for college basketball. 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) moved back one foot to 20.75 feet at the start of the 2011–12 season. During the 2019 offseason, the NCAA men's playing rules committee adopted the FIBA arc in a two-phase implementation. Division I adopted the new arc in 2019–20, and other NCAA divisions did so in 2020–21. The NCAA women's arc was moved to the FIBA arc in 2021–22.
The international distance, used in most countries outside the USA, as well as in FIBA and NCAA competition, is currently 6.6 m (21.65 ft) to 6.75 m (22.15 ft). The WNBA uses FIBA's arc except in the corner area, where the minimum distance is the NBA standard of 22 ft (6.71 m).
The key is primarily used to prevent players from staying beneath the basket of the opponents' team for long periods (maximum three seconds).
The no charge zone arc is a semi-circular arc drawn around the area directly underneath the basket. With some exceptions, members of the defending team cannot draw charging fouls in this area. The no charge zone arc in almost all North American rule sets above high school level (NCAA men's, NBA, and WNBA) has a radius 4 feet (1.22 m) from below the center of the basket. FIBA uses a marginally larger radius of 1.25 m (4 ft 1.2 in). Starting with the 2023–24 season, NCAA women's basketball reduced the size of the no-charge arc to a radius of 9 inches (22.86 cm)—in other words, the size of the basket. The no charge zone arc rule first appeared at any level of basketball in the NBA in the 1997–98 season. The NCAA restricted area arc was originally established for the 2011–12 men's and women's seasons at a radius from below the center of the basket, and was extended to match the 4-foot radius for the 2015–16 season and beyond. NCAA men's basketball still uses the 4-foot radius.
Also, two lines are drawn on each of the sidelines, 28 feet from each of the endlines, which designates the extent of the coaching box and bench. This line marks the farthest extent a coach (aside from the sidelines) can stand. Directly behind this area is the team bench.
On the half-court line of NBA floors two lines extend 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.
|
|