You may have some big questions before installing an outdoor basketball court on any type of property, and some of these will naturally be about size. How big should an outdoor basketball court be? There are both general standards and specific nuances you need to be aware of when considering your size needs. Also, Are you looking for outdoor gym equipment manufacturers in India?
At Sports Yodha, we are proud to offer a wide range of residential and commercial basketball courts to customers around Utah. In this two-part blog series, we will discuss everything you need to know about sizing your outdoor basketball court – what are the standard court sizes commonly used? What additional factors might you consider, and what final size is ideal for your needs? Let’s discuss it._
standard basketball court dimensions
While we’ll discuss some factors that may change the calculus somewhat for you, let’s start by discussing the standard dimensions of a standard outdoor basketball court. These are the most widely accepted and commonly used measurements for such a court:
- Length: 94 feet (28.65 meters).
- Width: 50 feet (15.24 meters) from baseline to baseline, or 74 feet (22.56 meters) including the main or “paint” areas under both baskets.
- Basket height: The typical height of baskets in outdoor courts is 10 feet above the ground.
These numbers are known as the FIBA standard, which means International Basketball Federation – they are followed in all international competitions and many domestic competitions as well. Note that these will differ slightly from other organizations like the NBA, but not by much.
Naturally, things will be different for a half-court basketball court, which of course is exactly what it sounds like – a court that has the same layout but is half the size. Such courts are often used for playing at home or for other recreational uses. The length and width will be cut in half, so here it would be 47 feet (14.33 m) by 50 feet (15.24 m).
Buffer Border
Now, in most cases, you’ll be looking for a slightly larger court than the standard sizes listed above, and that’s mainly because of player safety. To help keep players and equipment safe you’ll want a “buffer border” around your court – this is an area that’s often made of concrete or another hard surface, and it surrounds the entire perimeter of the court.
The buffer border should typically be at least 10 feet (3.05 meters) wide on all sides. This ensures that players who go out of bounds have a little room to slow down before hitting any hard surfaces, reducing the risk of injury. Additionally, it helps prevent damage to the court due to contact with surrounding objects like fences or walls.
In the second part of our series, we’ll look at some additional factors to consider when choosing the final size of your outdoor basketball court. For more information about this or any of our tennis court, pickleball court or basketball court surfacing services, speak to our team at Sports Yodha today.