The short answer
The NBA basketball court is 94 feet long by 50 feet wide (28.65 m × 15.24 m). The FIBA international basketball court is 28 metres long by 15 metres wide (91.86 ft × 49.21 ft). The two courts are nearly identical in width, but the NBA court is about 2 feet longer.
The bigger difference is in the markings:
- NBA 3-point line: 23 ft 9 in at the top of the arc (7.24 m)
- FIBA 3-point line: 6.75 m at the top of the arc (22 ft 1.7 in)
- NBA paint (key): 16 ft wide rectangle, 19 ft long
- FIBA paint: 4.9 m wide, 5.8 m long (slightly different proportions)
These differences shape how international and NBA basketball play out. NBA players take longer 3-pointers, which favors elite shooters. FIBA’s closer 3-point line means more attempts and a faster offensive pace at the perimeter.
Court dimensions side by side
| Measurement | NBA | FIBA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 94 ft (28.65 m) | 28 m (91.86 ft) | NBA 2.14 ft longer |
| Width | 50 ft (15.24 m) | 15 m (49.21 ft) | NBA 0.79 ft wider |
| Total area | 4,700 sq ft (437 sq m) | 4,520 sq ft (420 sq m) | NBA 4 percent larger |
| 3-point line (top of arc) | 23 ft 9 in (7.24 m) | 6.75 m (22 ft 1.7 in) | NBA 1.7 ft further |
| 3-point line (corner) | 22 ft (6.7 m) | 6.6 m (21 ft 7.9 in) | NBA 0.4 ft further |
| Free throw line | 15 ft (4.572 m) | 4.572 m (15 ft) | identical |
| Backboard width | 6 ft (1.83 m) | 1.8 m (5 ft 10.9 in) | NBA 1 in wider |
| Basket rim height | 10 ft (3.05 m) | 3.05 m (10 ft) | identical |
| Paint (key) width | 16 ft (4.88 m) | 4.9 m (16 ft 1 in) | nearly identical |
| Paint (key) length | 19 ft (5.79 m) | 5.8 m (19 ft 0.4 in) | nearly identical |
The 4 percent area difference is small in absolute terms but real in basketball terms because the court is already small. An extra two feet of length means an extra play decision per possession.
The 3-point line: where the rules really diverge
The 3-point line is the most consequential difference between the two systems.
NBA 3-point line: 23 feet 9 inches from the center of the basket at the top of the arc, narrowing to 22 feet at the corners. The shape is not a true circle. It is a circular arc that flattens into straight lines along the sidelines for the last 14 feet to the baseline. The result is the “corner three” being 22 ft, easier than the top-of-arc three at 23 ft 9 in.
FIBA 3-point line: 6.75 metres from the center of the basket at the top of the arc, narrowing to 6.6 m at the corners. The shape is also flattened to a corner geometry similar to the NBA.
In feet, the FIBA arc is 22 ft 1.7 in at the top. So the NBA top-of-arc shot is about 1 ft 7 in (49 cm) further than the FIBA equivalent.
The corner threes are closer to each other: NBA 22 ft, FIBA 21 ft 7.9 in. The 4-inch difference is small enough that NBA shooters playing in FIBA pre-season exhibition games barely adjust, but the top-of-the-arc difference does matter for elite shooters whose mechanics are calibrated to one distance.
For context on the 6.75 m FIBA distance, that equals 22 ft 1.7 in in feet and inches.
Why the NBA is the outlier
The NBA’s 23 ft 9 in 3-point line was established in 1979 when the league introduced the 3-point shot. The original distance was 23 ft 9 in at the arc top, 22 ft at the corners, which has been the standard since. The exception was a brief period from 1994 to 1997 when the NBA moved the line to a uniform 22 ft at all points. The shorter line produced too many 3-pointers and was rolled back.
FIBA introduced its 3-point line in 1984, set at 6.25 metres (about 20 ft 6 in). In 2010, FIBA extended the line to 6.75 m to align more closely with the NBA. The current FIBA distance is therefore a relatively recent compromise.
NCAA men’s basketball matched the FIBA 6.75 m / 22 ft 1.75 in distance starting in the 2019-20 season, having previously been even shorter at 20 ft 9 in. NCAA women’s basketball moved to 22 ft 1.75 in in 2021.
The pattern: the rest of the world plays a slightly shorter 3-point game than the NBA. American college and women’s basketball use the FIBA standard. Only the NBA itself uses the deeper line.
How court dimensions shape the game
A 4 percent larger NBA court might not sound like much, but combined with the 1.7 foot deeper 3-point line, it produces real differences in style.
NBA basketball:
- Wider spacing because of the larger court
- Deeper 3-point shots reward specialist shooters
- More attacking angles for ball-handlers
- Slower, more deliberate offensive sets (24-second shot clock per possession)
FIBA basketball:
- Tighter court rewards quick passing
- Shorter 3-point line increases 3-point attempt rate
- More zone defense allowed by rules (less restricted than NBA’s defensive 3-second rule)
- Faster, more transition-oriented game
These tendencies are reinforced by other rule differences. FIBA has a 24 second shot clock (same as NBA) but with shorter games (40 minutes total, four 10-minute quarters, vs NBA’s 48 minutes in four 12-minute quarters). FIBA also allows full-time zone defense, which the NBA permits only with the defensive 3-second restriction.
When NBA players play FIBA basketball (Olympics, FIBA World Cup), they adjust to the smaller court and shorter 3-point line. The 2024 USA basketball team in the Paris Olympics had to recalibrate its offensive shooting depth, which is one reason the team’s preparation included extensive practice on FIBA-spec courts.
Court dimensions at other levels
Beyond NBA and FIBA, basketball is played on courts of varying sizes:
| Level | Court size | 3-point line |
|---|---|---|
| NBA | 94 × 50 ft | 23 ft 9 in (top), 22 ft (corner) |
| WNBA | 94 × 50 ft | 22 ft 1.75 in (since 2013) |
| NCAA Men’s | 94 × 50 ft | 22 ft 1.75 in (since 2019-20) |
| NCAA Women’s | 94 × 50 ft | 22 ft 1.75 in (since 2021) |
| FIBA | 28 × 15 m (91.9 × 49.2 ft) | 6.75 m (22 ft 1.7 in) |
| US high school | 84 × 50 ft (variable) | 19 ft 9 in or 22 ft 1.75 in depending on state |
| 3x3 basketball (FIBA) | 15 × 11 m half court | 6.75 m |
High school courts are notably shorter than NBA and college (84 ft vs 94 ft), which compresses transitions and rewards half-court play.
The 3x3 basketball court used in the Olympics (since Tokyo 2020) is exactly half a FIBA full court at 15 × 11 m. The 3-point line is the same 6.75 m as the full court, with the basket fixed at one end and the other end being the half-court line.
For more on Olympic court and field dimensions, see Olympic track distances and Olympic swimming pool dimensions. For converting any specific meter or foot value used in court layout, use the calculator on the homepage.
Sources and further reading: