Basketball – Playing Environment

There are many variants of basketball, some play indoors and some outdoors, some play on larger grounds, and some teams have more players. We can play the fun game on any flat surface but FIBA, the organizing body has laid down some guidelines for a basketball court.

Court Design

A standard international basketball court is an indoor, rectangular court with dimensions 50 feet × 94 feet.

Courts at schools may be smaller. The court is divided into two symmetrical halves, one for each team. Various markings are painted on the court. There’s a circle at the center, free throw semi circles, restricted areas, and three-point lines are marked on either side of the court. A no-charge semi-circular area is marked just below the basket.

Court Design

Basketball – Equipment

Basketball is a simple game, it doesn’t require any equipment other than a hoop, a ball, and a flat court. Even two players can play and have fun with basketball.

Basket

Basket

A hoop or basket with a net around its circumference and of 18-inch diameter is firmly hung horizontally from a rectangular backboard of 3.5 feet height and 6 feet width on either side of the court. The rim of the hoop is 10 feet above the ground. The backboard in various international competitions is transparent for better visibility.

Ball

Ball

Basketball is an orange-colored and rough-textured spherical ball with black contours usually made of leather or composite tough materials.

The ball is bounced continuously (dribbling), thrown through the air to other players (passing), and towards the basket (shooting). So a typical basketball must be very durable and easy to hold on to.

Other Equipment

There may be some more equipment for convenience.

  • Some international courts have a game clock that makes a beep at the end of each period. Some also show the shot clock countdown.
  • Sometimes, the backboards have bordering lights that light up and indicate that a period is about to end.