How Many Square Feet Is a Basketball Court? Size and Dimensions
A regulation NBA or WNBA basketball court is 4,700 square feet: 94 feet long by 50 feet wide. College and high school courts are 4,200 square feet (84 by 50), and FIBA international courts are about 4,520 square feet (28 by 15 metres). That is the lined playing area. Once the run-off space every governing body requires is added, the surface you actually pave runs roughly 5,000 to 8,000 square feet, and that gap is usually what decides whether a court fits the property.
This guide gives basketball court dimensions and square footage at every level of play, plus half-court and driveway sizes, rim height, the key line markings, and what square footage means for what a court costs to build. If you are sizing a court to a specific yard rather than looking up a standard, our backyard basketball court sizes guide is the one you want: it converts every residential court size into the yard footprint it needs once run-off and the hoop pole are counted.
When you’re ready to build, we offer basketball court installation in Connecticut, from driveway hoops to backyard half-courts to full regulation courts.
Official Basketball Court Dimensions
Court length differs by level of play, but the width is a consistent 50 feet across American basketball:
| Level | Length | Width | Total Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| NBA | 94 ft | 50 ft | 4,700 sq ft |
| WNBA | 94 ft | 50 ft | 4,700 sq ft |
| NCAA (college) | 84 ft | 50 ft | 4,200 sq ft |
| High school | 84 ft | 50 ft | 4,200 sq ft |
| FIBA (international) | 91.86 ft (28 m) | 49.21 ft (15 m) | ~4,520 sq ft |
The rim height is 10 feet on every regulation court, regardless of level.
How Many Square Feet Is a Basketball Court?
An NBA or WNBA basketball court is 4,700 square feet. That is the lined playing area, 94 feet by 50 feet. An NCAA college or high school court is 4,200 square feet (84 by 50 feet), and a FIBA international court is about 4,520 square feet (28 by 15 metres). A typical backyard half-court runs 1,500 square feet, and a driveway court can work in as little as 400.
Square footage is the number that actually governs a project, because materials, base work and surfacing are all priced by the square foot. It is also the number most often quoted wrong, for one reason: the playing area is not the area you have to build.
Playing area versus the area you actually pave
Every level of basketball specifies unobstructed run-off space outside the lines, so players chasing a ball are not running into a fence, a wall or a garden bed. The lines are the court. The concrete or asphalt is the court plus its run-off, and that is what a builder prices.
| Court | Playing area | Playing area (sq ft) | With 3 ft run-off | With 10 ft run-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NBA and WNBA | 94 ft x 50 ft | 4,700 | 5,600 sq ft (100 x 56) | 7,980 sq ft (114 x 70) |
| NCAA and high school | 84 ft x 50 ft | 4,200 | 5,040 sq ft (90 x 56) | 7,280 sq ft (104 x 70) |
| FIBA international | 28 m x 15 m | ~4,520 | n/a | ~6,545 sq ft (32 x 19 m, FIBA 2 m run-off) |
Run-off footprints calculated by Precision Sports from each governing body’s playing dimensions. NBA and NCAA rules treat roughly 3 feet as a bare minimum of unobstructed space and about 10 feet as the preferred allowance; FIBA specifies a 2 metre run-off on all sides. Plan for the larger figure wherever the property allows it.
The gap is the point. A “4,700 square foot” NBA court is really a 5,600 to 7,980 square foot paved surface once it is buildable. On a residential project that difference is usually the difference between a court that fits the yard and one that does not.
Half court and small court square footage
| Court type | Dimensions | Square feet |
|---|---|---|
| NBA half court | 50 ft x 47 ft | 2,350 |
| College and high school half court | 50 ft x 42 ft | 2,100 |
| Common residential half court | 30 ft x 50 ft | 1,500 |
| Small residential court | 30 ft x 40 ft | 1,200 |
| Compact practice court | 20 ft x 25 ft | 500 |
| Driveway key and hoop | 20 ft x 20 ft | 400 |
Square footage calculated by Precision Sports from the listed dimensions. Residential and driveway figures are playing surface; add run-off behind the baseline wherever the site allows.
Halving a full court does not halve the cost, but it comes close on the surface line item, which is why the 30 by 50 foot backyard half court at 1,500 square feet is the most-built residential size we install. It carries a real key, a usable three-point area, and it fits a typical suburban lot in Connecticut or Florida. For the full set of backyard basketball court sizes and the yard footprint each one needs once run-off is added, see our backyard court guide.
Driveway basketball court dimensions
A driveway court is defined by the pavement you already have rather than by a rulebook. The workable minimum is roughly 20 by 20 feet (400 square feet), which holds a key, a free-throw line and enough room to step back. At 25 by 30 feet (750 square feet) you can mark a genuine three-point arc for shorter range shooting. What limits most driveways is not width but the slope, since driveways are pitched for drainage and a court is not, and the run-off behind the hoop.
What square footage means for cost
Court pricing is built up per square foot of finished surface: excavation and base, then paving, then the acrylic coating system, then lines. Doubling the square footage roughly doubles the surface and base cost, while fixed costs such as mobilisation, the hoop and any fencing do not scale the same way. That is why cost per square foot falls as courts get larger. For current pricing by court size, see our basketball court cost guide.
WNBA Court Size
The WNBA court size is identical to the NBA: 94 feet by 50 feet. The professional women’s game uses the same court length, width, 16-foot key, 15-foot free-throw line, and 23-foot-9-inch three-point arc as the men’s pro game. The only real difference is the ball, the WNBA plays with a slightly smaller 28.5-inch-circumference ball, not the court. So if you’re planning a court and want it to match what you see in either pro league, build it to 94’ × 50’.
Collegiate (NCAA) Basketball Court Dimensions
A college basketball court is 84 feet long by 50 feet wide, the same width as the pros but 10 feet shorter end to end. NCAA men’s and women’s courts share these dimensions. The collegiate three-point line sits 22 ft 1.75 in from the center of the basket, the lane (key) is 12 feet wide, and the free-throw line is 15 feet from the backboard. High school courts use the same 84’ × 50’ footprint but pull the three-point line in to 19 ft 9 in. For a home or facility court built to “college size,” 84’ × 50’ is the spec to plan around.
Half-Court Dimensions
Most residential and many recreational courts are half-courts, which keeps the footprint, and cost, manageable:
| Level | Half-Court Size |
|---|---|
| NBA | 50 ft × 47 ft |
| College / High school | 50 ft × 42 ft |
| Typical backyard half-court | 30 ft × 50 ft |
| Compact practice court | 20 ft × 25 ft |
A backyard half-court doesn’t need to match a regulation half exactly, it needs enough room for the key, a three-point area, and safe run-off behind the baseline. A practical sweet spot for most yards is about 30’ × 50’.
Key Markings and Their Sizes
A regulation court has several standardized markings:
- The key (free-throw lane): 16 feet wide in the NBA, 12 feet wide in college and high school.
- Free-throw line: 15 feet from the backboard on every level.
- Three-point line: 23 ft 9 in at the top of the arc (NBA), 22 ft 1.75 in (college and FIBA), 19 ft 9 in (high school).
- Center circle: 12 feet in diameter.
- Backboard: 6 feet wide by 3.5 feet tall, with the rim 10 feet off the floor.
Every one of these markings is painted at a regulation 2 inch line width, and all court measurements are taken to the outside of the lines rather than the centre or the inside. Our sports court striping guide covers line widths by sport, the measure-to-outside rule, and what restriping costs.
For a backyard court, you can include as many or as few of these markings as you like, a top-of-key and three-point arc are the most popular for a half-court.
Hoop Height
The standard rim height is 10 feet (120 inches) from the playing surface to the top of the rim, identical for NBA, college, high school, and FIBA. For youth play, adjustable systems let you lower the rim, commonly to 8 or 9 feet, so younger players can develop proper form. For an in-ground hoop done right, see our guide to basketball hoop installation in Connecticut.
Rim and Ball Diameter
Height isn’t the only rim spec that matters. The diameter of a regulation basketball hoop is 18 inches measured across the inside of the rim, and that number is the same at every level: NBA, WNBA, NCAA, high school, and FIBA. The rim is made from 5/8-inch solid steel, so the outside diameter is closer to 19.25 inches.
For context, a regulation men’s basketball is about 9.5 inches in diameter (a 29.5-inch circumference, “size 7”), and the women’s/NCAA women’s ball is roughly 9.2 inches (28.5-inch circumference, “size 6”). That means two basketballs can fit through an 18-inch rim side by side with a small margin, a useful reminder of how much accuracy a clean shot really takes. The standard backboard the rim mounts to is 6 feet wide by 3.5 feet tall, with the rim centered and projecting 6 inches out from the board.
Sizing a Court to a Yard Instead of a Rulebook
Everything above is a published dimension. Fitting one to a specific property is a different question with a different answer, because the constraint is rarely the court itself.
Two numbers decide it: run-off and the hoop pole. A permanent in-ground hoop is set behind the baseline, and an adjustable system with a 72 inch backboard extends 2 to 4 feet back over the court from the pole, so the hoop end needs roughly 5 feet of clearance where the other three sides need about 3. Town setbacks then come off the buildable rectangle before any of that applies.
The result is that the yard footprint runs 31 to 82 percent larger than the playing area, and the proportional penalty is worst on the smallest courts: a 20 by 20 foot driveway key is 400 square feet of surface but needs about 728 square feet of clear ground, while a regulation half court adds only 31 percent. Our guide to backyard basketball court dimensions and the yard space each size needs publishes that conversion for all seven residential sizes, alongside surfaces, hoops, fencing, permits and the build sequence.
Build a Basketball Court in Connecticut
Precision Sports CT designs and builds basketball courts across Connecticut and Florida, driveway hoops, backyard half-courts, and full regulation courts. As ASBA members certified on the major surface systems, we handle grading, drainage, base, surfacing, and line marking, and deliver an itemized written scope.
We serve homeowners and facilities across Connecticut, including Greenwich, Stamford, Fairfield, and Westport, see our full Connecticut service area. For resurfacing an existing court, see basketball court resurfacing in Connecticut.
Contact us today or call (203) 415-4532 to schedule a free site evaluation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the dimensions of a regulation basketball court?
An NBA regulation basketball court is 94 feet long by 50 feet wide. College (NCAA) and high school courts are the same 50-foot width but 84 feet long. FIBA international courts measure 91.86 feet by 49.21 feet (28 by 15 meters). The rim is 10 feet high on every regulation court.
What is the WNBA court size?
The WNBA court is 94 feet long by 50 feet wide, identical to the NBA. The rim height (10 feet), free-throw line (15 feet), and key width (16 feet) also match the NBA. The main difference is the ball: the WNBA uses a slightly smaller 28.5-inch-circumference ball, but the court and markings are the same size.
What are collegiate (NCAA) basketball court dimensions?
An NCAA college basketball court is 84 feet long by 50 feet wide, the same width as the NBA but 10 feet shorter. The three-point line is 22 feet 1.75 inches from the basket, the key (lane) is 12 feet wide, the free-throw line is 15 feet out, and the rim is 10 feet high. Men’s and women’s NCAA courts share the same dimensions.
What is the diameter of a regulation basketball hoop?
A regulation basketball rim has an inside diameter of 18 inches on every level of play, NBA, WNBA, NCAA, high school, and FIBA. A regulation men’s basketball is about 9.5 inches in diameter (29.5-inch circumference), so two balls can fit through the rim side by side with a little room to spare. The rim sits 10 feet above the floor.
How big is a half basketball court?
A regulation half-court is 50 feet wide by 47 feet deep for NBA dimensions, or 50 by 42 feet for college and high school. Most backyard half-courts are scaled down to a practical 30 by 25 feet up to 50 by 47 feet depending on available space.
How tall is a basketball hoop?
A regulation basketball hoop is 10 feet (120 inches) from the floor to the top of the rim. This height is the same for NBA, college, high school, and FIBA play. Youth courts often use adjustable hoops set lower, commonly 8 to 9 feet.
How many square feet do you need to build a basketball court?
More than the court measures. An NBA or WNBA court is 4,700 square feet of playing area but 5,600 square feet of paved surface at the 3 foot minimum run-off, and 7,980 square feet at the 10 foot preferred allowance. An NCAA college or high school court is 4,200 square feet of lines and 5,040 to 7,280 square feet of pavement. Base work, paving and surfacing are all priced against the paved figure, never the lined one.
How far is the three-point line?
The three-point line is 23 feet 9 inches from the basket at the top of the arc in the NBA (22 feet in the corners), 22 feet 1.75 inches in college, and 19 feet 9 inches in high school. FIBA sets it at 22 feet 1.75 inches (6.75 meters).
How many yards long is a basketball court?
An NBA or WNBA basketball court is 31.3 yards long and 16.7 yards wide (94 by 50 feet). An NCAA college or high school court is 28 yards long and 16.7 yards wide (84 by 50 feet). A FIBA international court is 30.6 by 16.4 yards (28 by 15 metres). No basketball rulebook publishes court size in yards, so these are conversions from the official figures in feet and metres.