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How far is the three point line in high school basketball
How far is the three point line in high school basketball
USA Basketball - The History of the 3-Pointer
On November 13, 1967, the Indiana Pacers of the American Basketball Association were losing to the Dallas Chaparrals, 118-116, with just one second left on the clock.
Indiana inbounded the ball to Jerry Harkness, who was 92 feet away from the basket. With no time to do anything else, Harkness threw a towering Hail Mary heave toward the goal. It smacked off the backboard and went in.
Pandemonium erupted in Dallas, but for all the wrong reasons. You see, 1967 was the first year of the 3-point shot among basketball's top leagues, and the players and fans weren't used to it. A lot of the 2,500 in attendance that day thought that the Harkness miracle tied the game and forced overtime. In fact, he was 68 feet behind the brand new 3-point line. His shot won the game for the Pacers, 119-118.
"We were running off the floor to huddle up for the overtime when the official, Joe Belmont, came up to me and said 'Jerry, it's over.![]()
That was a 3-pointer,'" Harkness said in the book Loose Balls. "I said, 'I forgot all about that. A 3-pointer.' Then we were celebrating again, because we found out that we won the game."
These days, the 3-pointer is second-nature to basketball players and fans. It's a safe bet that nobody under the age of 30 has any recollection of college or professional basketball being played without a 3-point line.
But, in fact, basketball was played for a long time without the 3-point shot. The NBA considered it gimmicky for years. The NCAA was even slower to adopt the rule.
Once it became mainstream, though--with the ABA leading the charge in 1967--basketball would never be the same again.
The Inception
The 3-point line's first use in a professional league was back in 1961 in the American Basketball League. The ABL only lasted 1 ½ seasons before folding, so the 3-pointer quickly went away.
The NBA, which had been around since 1946, never seriously considered it at that point.
But when a new league competing against the NBA was dreamed up in the mid-1960s, the 3-point shot was back in the spotlight.
The ABA, which started in 1967, differed from the NBA in its experimentation of fan-friendly ideas. They had a red, white and blue basketball, a slam dunk contest, and of course, the 3-point shot.
According to the book Loose Balls: The Short, Wild Life of the American Basketball Association, which chronicled the nine-season history of the ABA, league organizers had planned to use the 3-pointer from the beginning. Coincidentally, the commissioner of the ABA and a big proponent of the 3-pointer was George Mikan, a 6-foot-10 NBA legend who probably would've never shot one during his playing days.
"We called it the home run, because the 3-pointer was exactly that," Mikan said in the book. "It brought fans out of their seats."
In 1976, the ABA and NBA merged, with four teams joining the NBA--the Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and New Jersey Nets.
The 3-point shot, at first, wasn't part of the package.
The NBA stayed firm in the game's traditions. The league didn't adopt the 3-pointer until 1979--Magic Johnson and Larry Bird's rookie season. While certain college basketball conferences experimented with it in the early '80s, the NCAA didn't universally implement a 3-point line until 1986, with high school basketball following suit a year later.
The Adjustment
In the late 1960s, when the ABA introduced the 3-pointer, a generation of coaches had to rethink everything they knew about the game, and it made things hectic. One ABA coach admits that at first, he never used the 3-pointer unless his team was losing late in the game and was desperate for points.
Other coaches had similar problems adjusting to its reality.
"You have to tell your players to remember who the shooters are, and when those guys are 25 feet from the basket, get in their jocks and guard them," former ABA and NBA coach Hubie Brown said in Loose Balls.
"Don't give them the 25-footer, which is something players had been conditioned to do all their lives. And as a coach, if you have a shooter with range, you have to give him the freedom to take the 25-footer, which is a philosophy that goes against what you learned as a young coach--namely, pound the ball inside."
It wasn't just the coaches, either. The fans loved it right away, but there were growing pains among the players.
"It took a while for players to understand time and score situations, when to take it," said Len Elmore, who played in both the ABA and NBA. "You also recognize that players who hadn't been accustomed to playing with a 3-point line really had to work to develop the range."
Michael Jordan is a perfect example of that. He played college basketball at North Carolina without a 3-point line. In his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls, he was 9-for-52 from 3-point range. He never shot better than 20 percent from long range until his fifth season in the NBA.
But by the time his remarkable tenure with the Bulls wrapped up, he was consistently shooting better than 35 percent from 3-point range.
The Evolution
It may not be obvious, but the 3-point line continues to change the sport today.
"Guys have become super efficient at the shot," Elmore said. "You see the NCAA continue to move the line further back because players can shoot it. At one time, it was only 19 feet at its shortest point."
In addition to the players continuing to improve, the utilization of the shot continues to evolve as well.
"Now you're seeing it on the fast break, whereas coaches from old school wouldn't want you to take that shot on the break. They'd want you to challenge the defense and get the highest percentage shot," Elmore said. "Also, you're seeing guys now driving to the basket, and even though they have an opportunity to take the layup or a much shorter shot, they're more willing to kick it out to the wide-open 3-point shooter. I'm not sure the percentages work from that standpoint, but it's a trend.
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Though the distances differ between all levels of basketball, the 3-point line is universal. The NBA has a 22-foot 3-point line in the corners and a 23-foot, 9-inch line elsewhere. The WNBA and the international game plays with a 20-foot, 6-inch line. The NCAA men's game has a 20-foot, 9-inch line while the NCAA women and high schools have a 19-foot, 9-inch line.
Whereas size was a crucial factor in matchups in the past, the 3-point line gave smaller teams a great equalizer.
Even the post players get into the action--just not very often.
Shaquille O'Neal is 1-for-22 from 3-point range in his career, that one a humorous bank shot buzzer-beater. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played half his pro career with no 3-point line and half of his career with it. He was 1-for-18 from behind the arc in his career.
More than anything, though, the 3-point line has made basketball a completely different experience for the fans--a more spread-out game with another level of energy that wasn't there before the 1960s.
"It keeps the game exciting, particularly at the college level," Elmore said. "There are times when people fall in love with it, and there's the adage that you live by it and you also die by it. When it's not incorporated properly and not utilized properly, it can hurt a team. But the advantage is to be able to stretch the floor."
Basketball Court Dimensions and Hoop Height: A Quick Guide
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How Big is a Basketball Court?
An NBA basketball court is 94 feet long and 50 feet wide. In meters, it’s 28.65 m long and 15.24 m wide. The WNBA and NCAA use an identical court size—94 feet long by 50 feet wide.
High school courts are a bit shorter, measuring 84 feet long by 50 feet wide. Junior high courts are even smaller, typically measuring 74 feet long and 42 feet wide. A FIBA court (used during international play such as the Olympics) is 91.86 feet long and 49.21 feet wide.
How Tall is a Basketball Hoop?
For junior high, high school, NCAA, WNBA, NBA and FIBA, the rim is exactly 10 feet off the ground.
Rims at every level of play are 18 inches in diameter. Backboards are also the same size at each of these levels. A regulation backboard measures 6 feet wide and 42 inches (3.5 feet) tall.
What is the Distance of the 3-Point Line?
The 3-point line distance varies among different levels of play. The NBA 3-point line is 23.75 feet from the hoop, 22 feet in the corners. The FIBA 3-point line is 22.15 feet from the hoop, 21.65 feet in the corners. The WNBA uses the same 3-point line as FIBA.
At the NCAA level, the 3-point line distance is 20.75 feet, for both men and women. At the high school level, the 3-point line distance is 19.75 feet, for both boys and girls. Junior high uses the same 3-point line distance as high school.
What is Distance of the Free-Throw Line?The distance of the free-throw line is measured from a point on the floor directly below the backboard. At the junior high, high school, NCAA, WNBA and NBA levels, the free-throw line is 15 feet away from this point.
At the FIBA level, the free-throw line is actually a bit further—15.09 feet from the point.
How Big is The Key?
The size of the key, also commonly referred to as “the paint,” varies among levels of play. In the NBA, it’s 16 feet wide. Same goes for the WNBA. In FIBA, it’s 16.08 feet wide. At the NCAA level, the key is 12 feet wide. High school and junior high school use the same size key as the NCAA.
READ MORE:
- Basketball Sizes: A Quick Guide for All Levels of Play
- What is AAU Basketball?
- 4 Youth Basketball Drills that Teach the Fundamentals
Share This Story!
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How Big is a Basketball Court?
An NBA basketball court is 94 feet long and 50 feet wide. In meters, it’s 28.65 m long and 15.24 m wide. The WNBA and NCAA use an identical court size—94 feet long by 50 feet wide.
High school courts are a bit shorter, measuring 84 feet long by 50 feet wide. Junior high courts are even smaller, typically measuring 74 feet long and 42 feet wide. A FIBA court (used during international play such as the Olympics) is 91.86 feet long and 49.21 feet wide.
How Tall is a Basketball Hoop?
For junior high, high school, NCAA, WNBA, NBA and FIBA, the rim is exactly 10 feet off the ground. Rims at every level of play are 18 inches in diameter. Backboards are also the same size at each of these levels. A regulation backboard measures 6 feet wide and 42 inches (3.5 feet) tall.
What is the Distance of the 3-Point Line?
The 3-point line distance varies among different levels of play. The NBA 3-point line is 23.75 feet from the hoop, 22 feet in the corners. The FIBA 3-point line is 22.15 feet from the hoop, 21.65 feet in the corners. The WNBA uses the same 3-point line as FIBA.
At the NCAA level, the 3-point line distance is 20.
75 feet, for both men and women. At the high school level, the 3-point line distance is 19.75 feet, for both boys and girls. Junior high uses the same 3-point line distance as high school.
What is Distance of the Free-Throw Line?The distance of the free-throw line is measured from a point on the floor directly below the backboard. At the junior high, high school, NCAA, WNBA and NBA levels, the free-throw line is 15 feet away from this point. At the FIBA level, the free-throw line is actually a bit further—15.09 feet from the point.
How Big is The Key?
The size of the key, also commonly referred to as “the paint,” varies among levels of play. In the NBA, it’s 16 feet wide. Same goes for the WNBA. In FIBA, it’s 16.08 feet wide. At the NCAA level, the key is 12 feet wide. High school and junior high school use the same size key as the NCAA.
READ MORE:
- Basketball Sizes: A Quick Guide for All Levels of Play
- What is AAU Basketball?
- 4 Youth Basketball Drills that Teach the Fundamentals
Share This Story!
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Basketball court markings: standards and norms
Author of the article
Khvatkov Dmitry
Consultant in the production of rubber coatings
Basketball field marking requirements are approved by the FIBA standard.
The site must be flat with a hard surface, free of bends, cracks and other obstacles. The accepted dimensions of the field are 28 m long and 16 m wide. By NBA standards, the field is slightly larger: 28.7 m (94' ft) long and 15.3 m (50' ft) wide.
Areas not intended for international competitions may differ from accepted standards (for public use, in schools or universities, etc.) and usually vary from 20 to 28 m in length and from 12 to 16 m in width.
Basketball Court Marking Standards
Basketball court markings are conventionally divided into 5 components:
- Boundary lines. They are located along the perimeter of the site and set its size. The lines that run along the field are called side lines, and those that are behind the baskets are called front lines.
- Central line. Divides the court in half parallel to the front lines.
- Central zone. It is a circle and is placed in the middle of the center line, and, accordingly, in the center of the entire field.
- Three-point line. It is a semi-ellipse and is located around the shields on both sides of the field. It limits the close range.
- Free throw line. It is located in front of the boards parallel to the front line and is limited on the sides by paint lines.
The standard line width is 5 cm. All outlines and lines must be of the same color (usually white) and be clearly visible from anywhere on the court.
Common lines
Common lines are used to limit the playing area of the court. The side lines (along the field) according to FIBA standards must be 28 m long, and the front lines - 16 m. For public areas, deviations from the accepted standards are allowed. Typically, basketball courts in schools or gyms are made from 20 m long and 12 m wide.
Central lines
The center line is parallel to the front and divides the field exactly in half. According to the standards - it should extend beyond the side lines by 15 cm on both sides.
In the middle of the center line there is a circle with a diameter of 3.6 m, which limits the central zone of the field. In this zone, the ball is played at the beginning of the game.
Three-Point Line
Three-Point Lines are located around the backboards on both sides of the field and consist of two straight lines 2.9 long9 m and a semicircle. Straight lines run perpendicular to the front at a distance of 0.9 m from the side lines. Despite the fact that visually the distance from the ring to the side of the three-point line seems to be less than to its central part, the distance from the backboard to any point is 6.75 m.
Penalty lines
Penalty lines limit the nearest area at the backboard. They consist of a trapezoid and a free throw zone.
Despite the name, the "trapezium" is a rectangle (until 2009year it really was a trapezoid), which is located under the shield. Its dimensions are 5.8 meters long and 4.9 meters wide. The shield is located at a distance of 1.
575 m from the end line in the middle of the site. In front of the backboard, at a distance of 1.25 m, there is a semicircle that limits the area for picking up the ball.
At a distance of 4.225 meters from the backboard, the trapeze zone ends and the free throw zone begins. It is a semicircle with a diameter of 3.6 m (like the central circle).
Paint zone lines
These lines are serifs on both sides of the trapezoid (parallel to the sidelines). They limit the areas for players who are fighting for the ball during a free throw.
Zones on the basketball field
The basketball court is divided into zones using markings. Each zone has its own specific rules.
Center circle
The center circle is used as a separate kick-off area at the start of the game. One representative from each team stand in a circle from their side and fight for the ball in a jump, after it is dropped by the referee. All players are exclusively on their side of the field, except for one who rebounds on the opponent's side.
Neutral zone
The peculiarity of this zone is that as soon as the player of the attacking team with the ball crosses the center line and is on the side of the opponent, he cannot pass the ball to the player of his team who is on the other side of the field (i.e. behind center line on your side).
Three-point zone
The three-point line limits the near zone of the shot. Hitting the basket from outside the basket brings the team three points. If the throw was made inside the zone, then it brings two points.
Three-second zone
This is the zone in close proximity to the ring. It is called three-second, since the player of the attacking team cannot be in it for more than three seconds. Most balls are thrown in this zone, so when attacking, it provides maximum protection.
Free throw area
In controversial situations, a free throw is provided from this area. The player of the attacking team must score the ball without stepping over the line of the trapezoid.
At the same time, the players of both teams are not in the three-second zone. They take up positions along the paint lines on the sides of the trapezoid and may not step outside the lines until the free throw shooter has shot the ball.
How to mark a basketball field?
Basketball field markings, whether it is an international competition court or an open-air amateur field, are best applied using special equipment. This will ensure the long life of the coating, the lines will not clog and will promote fair play.
You can order the marking of a basketball court in Moscow and the Moscow region from Rezkom. We will measure the premises and develop a design project for the field so that it complies with generally accepted rules and is convenient for operation. For more details, you can contact our manager by phone 8-495-64-24-111.
Basketball. Rules and game. Inventory and equipment. Features
The name "basketball" is formed by two English words: basket - basket and ball - ball.
It is a ball game between two teams, the meaning of which is to make as many hits as possible in the opponent's basket in a limited time. This discipline has had Olympic status since 1936.
The game has millions of fans around the globe. Some admire the growth of players, others are attracted by the unpredictability of matches. Accurate ball hits in the basket from a long distance are always accompanied by a standing ovation. Not surprisingly, the basketball court is considered a place where you can forget about your problems.
Basketball was born in 1891, when the American James Naismith, a physical education teacher of one of the colleges, for a change, fixed fruit baskets on the balcony of the gym and invited students to throw the ball into them, observing simple rules. They consisted in the fact that the ball should be passed from hand to hand, and the winner was the team on whose account there were more hits. This lesson was vaguely similar to the usual basketball, since there was no dribbling technique.
But a year later, Naismith formulated clear rules of the game, which subsequently underwent multiple changes.
But the main principles remain the same:
- The basketball should be light and small.
- The ring is attached at a sufficiently high height.
- Possession of the ball by any player is allowed.
- Contact of athletes on the court is prohibited, as well as running with the ball.
The first tournament took place in 1896. During the years of the Great Depression, competitions ceased to be held, but basketball did not cease to exist. It spread to Japan, China, the Philippines, and then to Europe and South America. At 1946, the Basketball Association of America formed and organized the first meeting. And in 1949, the National Basketball Association was formed, and now it is the most famous league.
1932 was the start of the International Amateur Basketball Federation. It was assumed that this association would promote the spread of the amateur game, but soon basketball players began to participate in international tournaments, and the word "amateur" lost its meaning.
At 1936 g discipline was introduced at the Olympic Games.
In Russia, they started talking about the game in 1901 thanks to Georgy Dupperon. Five years later, the first matches were held in St. Petersburg.
Sport reached its apogee in the years of the USSR. In 1947, the All-Union basketball section received access to all international tournaments within the framework of FIBA, and at the same time the national team won the European Championship.
Rules of Basketball
The last version of the rules was approved in 2004. These provisions still apply:
- 2 teams consisting of 12 participants play. Five players enter the court: point guard and attacking defenders, center, striker and forward. Others are waiting on the bench.
- Athletes move around the field at their own discretion.
- The movement of a basketball player with the ball is carried out by means of constant impacts of the projectile on the surface of the court.
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Carrying the ball is prohibited, it is recognized as a violation. - It is allowed to take two steps with the ball, then it is necessary to throw into the basket or pass the projectile to another member of the team. If a basketball player dribbled the ball and stopped, he has no right to move further and is obliged to pass or throw.
- Unintentionally touching the projectile with any part of the body other than the hand is not prohibited, which is not the case with deliberate kicking or fist play.
- The match is divided into 4 periods (halfs). Different basketball associations have approved their own duration of the period. In particular, in NBA games, 12 minutes are allotted for a half, and in FIBA - 10 minutes. There are short breaks between them.
- A different number of points are awarded for each hit. A successful free throw is worth 1 point. A hit from medium or close range is worth 2 points. The team receives 3 points for hitting a projectile in the basket with the same name, three-point mark.
- In the event of a tie at the end of regular time, overtime is announced with a duration of 5 minutes. each until a winner is determined.
- During an attack, a basketball player must not be in the free throw zone for more than 3 seconds. The introduction of the ball into the game is made within 5 seconds. The team that intercepted the ball must move it to the opponent's territory in 8 seconds. or give it to an opponent. 24 seconds are allotted to hit the basket, in the absence of at least touching its edge, the ball passes to the other side.
- Fouls are awarded for committed violations. The allowed number of fouls per team is 5, for each subsequent foul the referee awards 2 free throws. 5 individual fouls result in a player being sent off.
Basketball field Rectangular basketball court measuring 28 x 15 m. The space above it is at least 7 m, and in professional tournaments - 12 m or more. Lighting is equipped in such a way as to evenly illuminate the entire territory and not dazzle basketball players.
Before 1960s basketball matches were allowed to be played on street courts, but now only closed halls are used for this.
The marking of the field consists of the following lines and zones:
- Boundary (front and side) lines - drawn from four sides.
- Central line - drawn from one side line to another, parallel to the front, the zone of the same name is a circle with a radius of 1.8 m in the middle of the site.
- Three-Point Lines - arcs with a radius of 6.75 m, drawn to the intersection with the end lines.
- The penalty line is 3.6 m long and drawn parallel to the front line at a distance of 5.8 m from its inner edge.
Basketball Like basketball, this projectile has undergone many transformations. At first, it was sewn from leather patches, which created the need to pump it up all the time. New techniques and tactics led to giving the ball the usual spherical shape. The classic color is orange, this is enshrined in the official rules.
The ball consists of:
- Leather, PVC, rubber or polyurethane shell, consisting of 8 parts sewn together.
- Polyester or rubber multilayer lining. It gives flexibility and prevents the penetration of moisture.
- Butyl chamber with damage-resistant rubber valve.
The balls have different sizes, the largest one is #7. It is used in official men's tournaments. Ball number 6 is played by women. Sizes 3 and 5 are used in training, as well as in mini-basketball matches between players 8-12 years old.
Projectiles are divided into:
- Professional. Used in international competitions. Their shell is made of high quality leather, and the balls themselves are subject to mandatory FIBA certification, which places very high demands on them. A ball that has passed this procedure is marked with the FIBA APPROVED marking.
- Match. They are used in games in different gender and age groups. Their shell is made of composite or synthetic leather, and the diameter and weight correspond to the approved ones.
These projectiles are also certified and marked accordingly. - Training. Needed for exercises, games in physical education classes and amateur matches. For their production, synthetic leather and rubber are used, the diameter and weight correspond to generally accepted ones. Certification is not carried out.
- Advertising and souvenir items. Such shells are not used for games. They are needed for collecting autographs or for gifts.
Interesting Facts - The world famous basketball player Shaquille O Neil, who scored about 30 thousand points in various matches, only once made a three-point shot.
- US player Michael Jordan stood wrapped in the national flag at the 1992 Olympics award ceremony. This act, regarded by many as a symbol of patriotism, was actually much more prosaic: Jordan signed a contract with Nike, and the form on him was the trademark Reebok.
- Initially, basketball was played with an ordinary soccer ball.
Its color was brown, and only in the 50s. 19th century orange color was approved. - The Lebanese Suleiman Ali Nashnoon with a height of 245 cm became the tallest basketball player in history. Today, the athlete from Sudan, Manute Bol, is recognized as the owner of the largest height - 231 cm.
- The myth that basketball is a game for tall people (from 2 m) is quite common. However, this is not true. The American Mugsy Bogz is rightfully recognized as the smallest basketball player - his height is only 160 cm. There are many participants in the NBA League with a height of no more than 170 cm. And even the domestic singer Zemfira, far from a two-meter girl, was the captain of the Russian youth basketball team during her school years.
- At the time of the emergence of basketball, its rules consisted of 13 provisions. Today the number of points has already exceeded 200.
- Not everyone knows why it was necessary to use a basketball backboard. It's just that at the beginning of the formation of discipline, fans often caught thrown balls, and not everyone tried to return them.
