Basketball Court Rules

Basketball court rules vary depending on the type of players involved in the contest. The rules governing international competitors, pro players, college athletes and high school students are similar but not precisely the same. Informal pickup games that take place on playgrounds or in driveways also have their own unwritten rules.
Although the regulation size of basketball courts also is not uniform, one aspect of the game rarely varies is that the rim of the basket is 10 feet high.

History

When he invented the game of basketball in 1891, Canadian physical education instructor Dr. James Naismith devised 13 rules that required less than 600 words to explain. According to Naismith's first rules, dribbling was prohibited and baskets were worth a single point. A rule change in 1901 allowed players to dribble once, provided that they did not shoot. Another revision in 1909 permitted unlimited dribbling and removed the shooting prohibition. Field goals were increased to a value of two points when the one point free throw was introduced in 1896. Long-range three-point field goals were added by the professional American Basketball Association in 1967, a wrinkle that was later accepted in international, NBA, college and high school play.

Size

The regulation size of a basketball court varies somewhat for international, professional, collegiate and high school games. The NBA court is the largest, measuring 94 feet in length and 50 feet in width with a three-point arc extending from 22 to 23.75 feet from the basket. International courts are 91.86 feet long and 49.21 feet wide with a three-point arc of 20.5 to 22.15 feet. College courts have the same dimensions as an NBA court, except the three-point line is 20.75 feet from the basket. High school basketball courts are 10 feet shorter than NBA courts with a three-point line measuring 19.75 feet from the basketball. The 10-foot-high basket and the placement of the free throw line 15 feet from the basket are the same for all.

Other Notable Differences

In NBA games, players can collect six fouls before they are disqualified, compared to a five-foul limit in international, college and high school play. NBA players must advance the ball across the center-court line in eight seconds, while international, college and high school players face a 10-second time limit.
International and NBA games feature a 24-second shot clock, while college contests have a 35-second shot clock.
The time periods for games also vary. NBA games consist of four 12-minute quarters. Each quarter lasts 10 minutes in international games and 8 minutes in high school contests, while college games consist of two 20-minute halves.

Referees

Basketball court rules are enforced by three on-court referees in most international, NBA, college and high school games. Besides calling fouls and watching for other rule violations, referees control the tempo and often the demeanor of the game. Like the players, referees must be in top physical condition. Excellent eyesight and a calm yet firm demeanor also are required.

Rules for Pickup Games

There are no referees in most informal pickup games that are played on playground and in driveways. Relying on an honor code, players call fouls and other violations themselves--a situation that can lead to intense bickering.
Many pickup games involving three players or less per team are half-court affairs. Traditionally the defense must take the ball back beyond the foul line during a change in possession. Baskets in pickup games typically count for one point. Often, the team that scores retains possession of the ball. The total number of points needed to win is agreed to by each team before play begins.

Resources

• Official International Basketball Rules