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How big is a nba basketball hoop
How big is a nba basketball hoop
How Tall is a Basketball Hoop - Has it Ever Changed in Height?
Ever wonder what the height of a basketball hoop is when watching a game? A lot has changed over the years in professional basketball from the concept of dribbling, the three-point line, the basket itself, and even the backboard material, but one thing remains consistent: how tall an NBA basketball hoop is. A professional basketball hoop is always teen feet high from the floor to the top of the rim.
So why is the basketball hoop height ten feet high off the ground? Is the size of the hoop the same across the WNBA, FIBA, NCAA, High School, and more? Here is the complete breakdown of the height of a regulation basketball hoop!
Why is a Basketball Hoop Ten Feet Off the Ground?
James Naismith was the inventor of the game of basketball in 1891 out in Springfield, Massachusetts. During that year, he hung peach baskets off the running track guard railings at the YMCA, ten feet off the ground, for players to shoot at.![]()
After every basket made by a player, the game would pause to get a ladder to retrieve the ball, which was a soccer ball, at that time.
Eventually, iron hoops and a net replaced the peach baskets, which removed a ladder to retrieve a ball during a game.
How Do you Measure the Ten Feet for a Hoop?
The ten-foot measurement for a basketball hoop is from the height of the rim to the floor. The teen feet measurements are not from the bottom of the net, which fans might not know. The height takes the top of the rim since that is how high the ball needs to be to go into the hoop.
How Tall is a Basketball Hoop in the NBA?
A professional NBA hoop is ten feet from the top of the rim to the bottom of the floor. However, while the hoop’s 10 feet is the same, the average height of basketball players continues to grow over the years, which is why dunking is more common in today’s game. According to The Hoops Geek, players from the 2021 – 2022 season were 6’6″ tall on average.
Back in 1952, the average height of a player was 6’4″ tall.
How Tall is a Basketball Hoop in the WNBA?
A WNBA hoop stands at ten feet tall from the top of the rim to the base of the floor. According to TFI Global News, the average height of a female basketball player is 5’11”. Comparing that to the NBA, which is seven inches taller on average, you can understand why dunking is less common in the WNBA.
How Tall is a Basketball Hoop in FIBA?
The basketball hoop for the Olympics and all professional leagues worldwide stands at ten feet tall.
How Tall is a Basketball Hoop in NCAA Basketball Games?
NCAA basketball (men’s and women’s) is ten feet from the top of the rim to the base of the floor.
How Tall is a Basketball Hoop in High School and Middle School?
Basketball hoops in High School and Middle School leagues are ten feet from the base of the floor to the top of the rim.
Does the Rim Height Change in Youth Basketball Leagues?
Youth basketball leagues have different heights for the rim on basketball courts.
Kindergarten leagues will have hoops being seven feet tall. Meanwhile, fifth graders will have the hoop at nine feet tall. It is not until you get to sixth grade that the hoop goes to standard ten feet height.
How Big is the Basketball Backboard?
A regulation-size basketball backboard is 6 feet wide by 3.5 feet tall.
How Big is the Basketball Rim?
A regulation-size basketball rim is 46 inches in diameter.
Did the Hoop Size Ever Change in the NBA?
In 1954, the NBA ran a test raising the basketball hoop to 12 feet for one game. The reason to have 12-foot rims was to stop George Mikan from dominating the game since he was close to seven feet tall. The game that had the test was between the Milwaukee Hawks and the Minneapolis Lakers.
However, that test only lasted one game. The trial concluded that while it did stop George Mikan from dominating, it didn’t produce good results for the game. The hoop being taller made the game even more dominating for taller players to gather rebounds against shorter basketball players.
Why Do Basketball Hoops Have a Net?
Basketball first began with peach baskets that players would try to get the ball into when they would shoot. An iron hoop replaced that peach basket as the years went by, which allowed the ball to go through on a successful shot. No longer was a ladder necessary to retrieve balls after a successful shot.
Why Do Basketball Hoops Have an Orange Rim?
During games, the orange rim stands out for fans, coaches, refs, and players to see. The orange paint also helps spot goaltending violations if a player swats the basketball away as it is coming down towards the basket.
Can Players Change the Hoop Regulation Height During a Dunk Competition?
NBA players who partake in the dunk competition always like to put on a show for the fans. In 2009, Dwight Howard did just that by bringing in a basketball hoop that was 12 feet in height. He came out with a superman cape and was able to perform the dunk to the delight of the fans at the All-Star Game event.
Conclusion: How Tall is a Basketball Hoop?
In summary, a basketball hoop across professional leagues is ten from the top of the rim to the bottom of the floor. The ten-foot height dates back to 1891 when the basketball game took place in a YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts. During that time, peach baskets were on the railings of the track, and players would shoot a ball into the basket to score points. While many elements of basketball have changed over the years, the height of a basketball has not.
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What Is The Diameter Of A Basketball Hoop Rim? – Measuring Stuff
The basic concept of the game of basketball is to score more points than the other team.
This involves shooting a ball through a basket and the team with the most baskets will win.
There is more to it than that, but you get the idea.
In order to shoot the ball into the basket, it’s important to know the size of both the basket and the ball as the ball needs to fit through the hoop to score points.
Keep reading to find out the exact diameter of a basketball hoop along with other interesting basketball size information.
Basketball hoop rim diameter
The diameter of a basketball hoop rim used by professional leagues including the NBA, universities, and high schools is 18 inches or 45.72 centimeters. The diameter is measured from the inside of the rim and is the distance through the center of the rim dividing it into 2 equal parts. The radius of a basketball hoop rim is 9 inches.
According to the NBA equipment size regulations, rule number 1, section 2 states that the NBA-approved metal safety ring must be 18 inches in diameter.
Basketball diameter size
The diameter of a regulation-size basketball is 9.51 inches. Knowing that the rim diameter is 18 inches, it’s easy to see that the ball will fit into the basket with room to spare.
What is a size 7 basketball?
You may have heard that basketballs are given a number based on their size.
For example, a size 7 basketball is one that has a circumference of 29.5 inches.
They also have a weight of 22 ounces.
The size 7 ball is commonly used in pro basketball leagues like the NBA.
How much air does a basketball hold?
According to the NBA rule book mentioned above, the basketball must have between 7.5 and 8.5 pounds of pressure.
A deflated or over-inflated ball will affect the size and weight of the ball.
Will 2 basketballs fit in the rim?
Now that you know the size of both the basketball and the rim, you may be wondering if 2 basketballs will fit in the rim.
The answer is yes and no.
There is a size difference between men’s and women’s basketballs. The basketballs used in men’s leagues are 9.51 inches and in women’s leagues are 9 inches. So technically if filled with the right amount of air, 2 men’s basketballs will fit in the rim but will not fall through. But 2 women’s basketballs will fit inside the rim with enough space to fall through.
How tall is the basketball hoop rim?
In all basketball leagues, a basketball hoop is 10 feet tall. This is measured from the ground to the rim.
What is the size and purpose of the backboard?
Every basketball hoop is connected to a backboard that is 6 feet wide and 3.5 feet tall.
On the backboard, it’s required to have a 2-inch white rectangle shape that is 24 inches wide and 18 inches tall.
The purpose of the backboard and inner rectangle is to help the shooter aim and bank the basketball into the hoop. The backboard can be used for either a layup or bank shot, or a shot from a distance which will help guide the ball into the hoop.
Other information regarding basketball hoops and rims
The basketball rims used in most professional leagues are called Enclosed spring breakaway rims.
These are used for safety and long-lasting purposes.
Each hoop in the NBA consists of a pressure-release NBA-approved metal safety ring.
There are several factors that go into determining how much weight a basketball net can hold, but on average they are designed to hold around 230 pounds.
Attached to the basketball hoop, is a white cord net that is 18 inches long. It also must not be less than 30 thread or more than 130 thread.
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Joel Freeland: Kirilenko opened my eyes to the game. CSKA newcomer Joel Freeland in an interview with the club's press service spoke about basketball in the UK, the advantages and disadvantages of the NBA, confrontations with Pops and Kirilenko, the Beatles and ale.
What is it like to be a basketball player in the UK, not the most basketball country?
Hard to compare.
As a teenager, I didn't have many opportunities to play basketball. Leaving the UK, you see how different the basketball culture is in other countries, for example, in Spain ... Although, by and large, I can only talk about Spain. Basketball means a lot there. To be honest, I hoped that everything would go uphill in the UK, that the popularity of the sport would increase, but something is not noticeable yet. It is a shame to realize this, because we looked good at the Olympics, and then it seemed that the sport would pick up whists. But everything turned out differently.
How did you get into basketball?
Initially, of course, I played football.
Like everyone else in the UK.
Exactly. It took me eight or nine years. At the age of 16, an injury occurred that discouraged the desire to play football. And then I got into basketball.
How tall were you at that time?
Ummm.
.. I think about two meters. I was still growing up. I wanted to play sports, and one of my teachers suggested basketball. I tried it, I liked it. The result is a snowball effect. Imagine: at 16 I had no idea about the game, and at 19I was selected in the draft. This is some kind of madness.
How did NBA scouts find you?
Let's start with the fact that at the age of 18 I played for England at the European Championship in Slovakia. The coach Rob Oreyana saw me there and took me to Gran Canaria. The next year I trained like crazy. And the coach had contacts in the NBA, including among agents. An American agent came to the Canary Islands, signed an agreement, and after that I found myself on the radar of the clubs. Initially, it was not supposed that I would immediately go overseas, they looked at me only as a promising guy. The WMG agency that worked with me is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, in the NBA. I think it was thanks to his work that I was eventually drafted.
Of course, for this it was necessary to light up in the camp in Treviso, work out individual training in Los Angeles in front of 28 scouts. And all this in a very short time.
Clearly the scouts saw the potential. Did you yourself feel that you could be an NBA player?
At that moment, of course, I understood that I was far from the level of the NBA. I only played basketball for two and a half years. But I knew that I love this sport and I can become a good player. It spurred on. Then I spent six years in the Spanish league, four of which I can call excellent seasons. There I added confidence, made sure that I was on the right track.
And at what level did you play in the UK?
I didn't play there.
How did you end up in the junior team of the country?
I was 17 and I was racing for a non-professional team with the same young guys.
But at the same time, I was lucky to train with Jimmy Guymon, a fairly well-known specialist in my country, for a year. He conducted individual classes, taught many fundamental skills, explained how to build work, what to focus on in order to become a professional, to fulfill a dream. Jimmy played an important role in my development, we worked together regularly. You can say that he showed me to the coaches of the national team, although by that time I had taken part in a couple of camps, and the coaches had an idea about me.
We don't know much about basketball here in the UK. We don't even have an idea if there is a professional league in the country.
Yes, but very weak.
But there was a time when the London Towers played in the Euroleague.
Yes, yes, it happened, although I don't remember these matches at all. Quite recently, Guildford Heat played in the ULEB Cup, I think in 2007.
They lost 30 points to each of them, I remember their matches with Hoventud. Although ... what to expect - in England, the budgets are minimal, it is impossible to compete with strong teams.
At the same time, there are some really strong players in the national team…
… And none of them play in the UK. Talented guys are not in front of the eyes of the public, they leave at an early age, no, at the expense of whom to promote the sport.
Clearly, Luol Deng is from Sudan, but besides you, you had Robert Archibald, John Amici, Pops Mensa-Bonsu.
Amici, by the way, does a lot for basketball in Manchester, where he comes from. Pops, of course, is rather a product of the American school ... He is a great guy, by the way.
Have you seen the Russian slam dunk contest in 2010?
With James White, Gerald Green and Pops? Of course.
The contest was awesome. White there, I remember, scored from the free-kick line, carrying the ball between his legs. Wow. And Pops put his arm up to the elbow in the ring. He was good. It's a pity that his injuries were so crippled. I can't understand how he was so explosive with such bad knees!? His talent is incredible, Pops is very naturally gifted. Once he put such a dunk through me… I came to Moscow with Unicaja in 2010. He went out, probably for three minutes in total, went to the ring, I tried to block him, and he was like slammed through me! And, it seems, immediately sat down on the bench. As if for the sake of this he went out - to insert from above through a British friend! I just couldn't believe it!
What other memories do you have of the matches against CSKA?
Of course, another match in Moscow, in the 2011/12 season. When Kirilenko was in CSKA. I remember leaving the parquet, taking statistics .
.. How is this possible? This guy hit the ring twice in the whole game, and his utility rating is almost 40! He was fouled, he scored free throws, rebounded, intercepted, blocked shots, did everything! This is amazing. He just opened my eyes. Incredible talent. And the two matches in Malaga are somehow not particularly memorable for me.
Who is your favorite European player? Kirilenko?
Definitely, I would mention him among my favorites, even though he has already retired. But the most-most ... I would call Marc Gasol. I have great respect for what he can do. Dirk Nowitzki is also very good. Nicolas Batum, with whom we played in Portland.
You've been under the hood of Portland throughout your career. What is it like to have such a close connection with the NBA club? Especially when playing for another team.
You don't think about it. Unless you keep in mind that your main goal is to play in the NBA.
It's nice to realize, of course, what they think about you, follow your progress, but such thoughts do not wander all the time. Your daily job is not only to achieve career goals, but also to help the team you wear.
Did you have to travel to America in the summer?
In 2006, after the draft, he went to the Summer League. Yes, and the next year, too, plus another month I worked there individually. That's all. It is clear that team representatives came to Malaga to watch matches with my participation, we had dinner, discussed the current state of affairs.
I think many fans are wondering what position do you feel more comfortable playing in, power forward or center?
Both. After playing for Portland, I miss playing with my back to the rim, which I wasn't allowed to do. I used to play like this before, but in the NBA I had to rebuild, perform pick-and-pop more often, throw from the middle - that's all.
Although I think it helped me. I did not stop working on the movements under the ring. On the other hand, I added it in the throw from a distance, and now I am equally ready to play in any position that the coach will determine for me.
There is now a trend in Europe towards the use of short centers like Kyle Hines.
Yes, I played against Kyle when he was still with the Brose Baskets. Very hard center, with a low center of gravity. But I think I should be comfortable fighting short guys. In the NBA, you had to push, mostly with big, powerful centers. Rebounding is something I've learned a lot - positioning, reading the rebound angle. Against those who are inferior to you in height, the ball will be easier to pick up. I think I added in America compared to years in Europe. I'm really interested to see how things go. I don’t think I’ll turn into a star right off the bat, I want to show the top level of my abilities and help the team win.
I'm not one of those who want to score 30 points without regard to the result.
Especially since we have enough snipers.
Quite right. This is my idea - when there are partners who can deliver the ball to the basket, it takes pressure off you. You can focus on other things, like defense. This has been my mentality for the past three years.
People call you the British Bulldog. Precisely because of this?
That's what a reporter in Portland called me, and it stuck. It's because of my rigidity. I'm not afraid of contact, I even love it. I strive to complete my task by any means. This is the only way to win.
For many basketball players, the NBA is the pinnacle of the world, the dream of a lifetime. Was it the same for you?
Yes.
And now that you've left, do you have any regrets?
None.
Firstly, of course, I could say that I can still go back there. But now I don't care at all, I got the opportunity to play here. Secondly, he could have stayed, there was such an option. But I chose the best option for me. I know that I have an important role in an important team. I always wanted to fight for titles, and not just be part of the team, but also seriously participate in its game. Then you realize that you have achieved something. And you can't think of a better place than CSKA for this.
You stay at the top level.
Exactly. It's just a completely different game. The Euroleague is an amazing tournament, very interesting. I don't think people fully understand this. I don’t know a single basketball player who expects it to be easy here, who underestimates the general level. There are a lot of great players playing here who would not get lost in any league in the world, including the NBA - look how many guys with European experience play there! Yes, it will take me some time to adjust.
But not so much.
You won't see so many one-on-one games here.
Right. I don't understand why the NBA is so well tied to the individual game. Guys, it's also easier to defend when the entire opposing team concentrates on one person! Clearly, there are amazing talents out there. LeBron James is LeBron James, and he creates not only for himself, but also for the team. His actions are understandable. Yes, there are other stars. However, I think both styles have the right to life. I'm looking forward to returning to the team style. To be understood correctly, I do not want to offend Portland. Our team had a European mentality. We defended well collectively, smartly, agile. We had great offensive players like Damien Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge. But in the attack they performed a lot of “isolations”.
Were you surprised when your height in Moscow was measured as 210? All sources say 208.
Not at all. I think I'm even taller. 208 is listed in my file, probably from the age of 19-20. Now I am 210-211. In the NBA, they measure in shoes, so there I was 6 feet and 11 and a half inches (212 cm).
Let me ask you a couple of "British" questions. Do you like the Beatles?
Haha, do I like the Beatles! Well, yes, in general. They are nothing. Not that I constantly think about how to listen to them. To be honest, I'm not a music lover at all. I like a little bit of everything, but music is not that important to me. My girlfriend is another matter. She is a big listener.
Fish and chips?
Oh yes. True, in the summer, when I come home, I only have time to try it two or three times.
El?
Not at all. In general, I rarely drink alcoholic beverages, if I do drink, then a glass of wine is a pleasure.
By the way, in Portland with ales, IPA, for example, everything is fine. But I don't care for them at all.
Your girlfriend is Spanish, you probably spend a lot of time in this country.
Yes, all the time in summer in Gran Canaria. I have a house there. Sometimes I go to the United Kingdom. This summer I spent there longer than usual, about two months. I stay there in Farnham, a small town south of London. In general, it is more convenient in the Canary Islands. Also because there is a cool gym for training.
High standards for high sport
Basketball is equally exciting at professional and amateur levels. However, if at home or in the yard you can hang a ring made with your own hands from improvised materials, then official games and training use equipment made in accordance with strict standards.
Fig. 1. Emblems of the NBA and FIBA
Regulations are drawn up by the two main sports organizations: FIBA and NBA.
The standards of the first are used in international competitions, including world championships. FIBA recommendations are taken into account in the production of backboards, baskets, nets, marking on the sites.
FIBA recommends
The main attribute of the game is a basketball hoop with a backboard. This is a construction of a support with upholstery, a rectangular canvas - a shield, a metal rim and a mesh. Durable materials are used for production:
- hard wood;
- shatterproof tempered glass.
Standard size - 1.8 x 1.05 m. Fluctuations in length no more than 3 cm, in height - a maximum of 2. The lower part of the shield should be at a height of 2.9m above the floor.
Fig. 2. Backboard Standards
The basketball hoop is made from steel. Rim thickness - 16–20 mm. Design color is orange. The inner diameter is 45–45.9 cm. The mesh is attached to the ring in 12 places. Sharp edges, cracks, chips, dents, other irregularities that can injure the player are not allowed.
The fastening of the ring to the shield must be such that the pressure on the hoop is not transmitted to the protective shield. There should be no contact between the ring and the shield. The upper edge of the ring is placed parallel to the floor at a height of 3.05 m. The discrepancy is only 6 mm.
Basketball net is made from durable white cord. In length, it should be 40-45 cm. The upper part is usually more rigid than the lower one. This is necessary so that the net does not overlap on the ring, does not get confused, allowing the ball to fall freely down.
NBA recommendations differ
National Basketball Association slightly conflicts regarding standards and centimeters. The differences are as follows:
- from the floor to the lower edge of the shield - 2.75 m;
- from the lower edge of the shield to the ring - 0.31 m.
Shield markings
The markings are available in black and white.
