Basketball Court Lines & Markings - Hoop Tactics Basketball Basics
An indoor regulation basketball court has a hardwood surface and is rectangular in shape. Its maximum dimensions are 94×50 feet and there is no rule that specifies how small a court may be. It is common today for arenas to have the home team's logo painted onto the hardwood surface.
The court's boundaries are called sidelines along its length and end lines or baselines along its width. When a player with the ball (or the ball itself) touches any part of these lines of the area outside of them, he is considered out of bounds and his team loses possession of the ball. Sometimes players make acrobatic mid-air attempts to retrieve a ball heading out of bounds and throw it back inbound before either they or the ball touch the group out of bounds.
Basket, Rim, and Backboard
At each end of the court, a basket is attached to the lower canter of a backboard generally made of transparent Plexiglas. Each basket consists of a horizontal metal ring 18" in diameter called the rim placed 10 feet above the court's surface with a bottomless net 15"-18" in length hanging from it. A small white rectangle is painted on the backboard above the rim to provide a target area for shooting the ball. A shot clock with big red numbers is also visible above each basket. In college, it is sometimes located on the floor just outside the corner of the court. A red light is also placed behind the backboard to signal the end of each period. You can visit our site and know more or read our product review.
Each backboard is suspended 4 feet inside the end line, by a base located out of bounds. This allows the players room to maneuver behind the basket without going out of bounds. The base is padded to protect players who might accidentally collide with it. Some college arenas have backboards suspended from the ceiling for easier maintenance and to offer fans an unobstructed view of the game.
An interesting side note on backboards: they were once made of wood and metal (still used in high schools and gymnasiums), but were changed to glass to allow spectators to see through them. Today, Plexiglas is used because it does not shatter as easily during play, and if it does, its falling pieces are less dangerous. While this used to be a rare occurrence, the advent of bigger and more athletic players is making this a more common problem. In fact, the NBA now requires each arena to have an extra backboard unit on the premises during games to prevent costly delays if a backboard shatters.
Lines on the court
Dividing the Court - The center or midcourt line runs parallel to the end lines and divides the court into two halves called the frontcourt and the backcourt. The frontcourt contains the basket at which Team A is shooting to score points; the backcourt is the area Team A is defending (where Team A is trying to stop Team B from scoring). Only the team on offense has a frontcourt and backcourt. When Team B because the offense, its frontcourt is where Team As backcourt used to be.
In addition to the midcourt line, several other important lines are painted on the court's surface:
Center Circle - At the center of the court are 2 circles which are used for jump balls including the one that starts the game? One is 4 feet in diameter (the jumping circle - NBA and WNBA only) surrounded by another 12 feet in diameter (the restraining circle), and together they are called the center circle. Two other 12-foot foul circles, located one at each end of the court, are also used for jump balls. Go to our home page to read more article.
Foul Line (or Free-Throw Line) - a line 16'long (12'in college and for women) located 15 ' away from the backboard from
Which players take unobstructed shots at the basket (called free - throws or foul shots) after a foul is committed by the opposing team.
Foul Lane - an area 19' long and 16' wide (12' in college and for women), bordered by the end line and the foul line. Players must stand with both feet outside this lane area during a free-throw. Also, players lingering too long in this area during play may be called for a 3-second violation. The entire foul lane is painted a different color than the rest of the court. A player standing in it is said to be in the paint.
The key - At each end of the court is a key (named for the keyhole shape this area had many years ago). The 3 elements of the key are the foul circle, the foul line, and the free-throw line.
3-Point Line - In each half of the court is drawn a large horseshoe-shaped line called the 3-point line. Players who shoot the ball into the basket while standing with both feet completely behind this line (or one foot, if the other is in mid-air) earn 3 points - the maximum for any single shot. In the NBA, this line is are 23'9" from the basket intersecting parallel lines drawn from the baseline, each 22' from the basket. The NBA experimented with an arc 22’ from the basket from 1995-97 but moved it back when the shot proved too easy to make. It is 19'9" in college and for women, with a slightly different shape.
Areas Located Out of Bounds - Various hash marks are also drawn along the sidelines. These designate, among other things, the 8-foot substitution box in front of the scorers' table where players wait to enter the game, and the coaches' boxes, the area beyond which the coaches cannot roam during play. Along the same side of the court are 2 benches (or chairs) where the players, coaches, and trainers from each team sit during the game. Separating these 2 benches is the scorers' table, where the scorers and timekeepers sit.
Object of Basketball
Basketball is a fast-paced game played by 2 teams of 5 players each. The object is to toss a ball into the opposing team's basket to score points while preventing the opponent from doing the same. The team that scores the most points is the winner.
Although the game is usually played indoors, it can also be played on outdoor playgrounds, in garage driveways or anywhere else a basket can be set up. The fact that it can be played inside or out creates a year-round sport. Also, since the game requires no other equipment besides a ball and a basket, its easy set - up makes it equally popular among players of all ages in cities, suburbs and countryside are around the world.
These rules are also designed to keep the game moving while protecting players from injury - no small feat when so many large players view for control of a ball in a rather small area.
Basketball may seem to be such a simple game, yet there are important rules and strategies you can learn that will make it more fun to watch. With this notion in mind and the help of this book - which covers the rules and strategies of the professional and college game in the U.S. - you should be able to understand nuances of basketball you never noticed before, and enjoy it that much more.
