28 × 15 m
A standard FIBA basketball court measures 28 by 15 metres
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Photo: Hvd69 · CC BY-SA 4.0
The short answer
FIBA specifies a playing court 28 metres long and 15 metres wide, measured from the inner edges of its boundary lines. The surrounding floor and safety space are additional.
Why it's true
The international basketball rectangle is not defined by the walls of a gym. FIBA Article 2 describes a flat, hard playing surface free from obstructions and gives its dimensions as 28 metres by 15 metres. Those measurements refer to the area inside the boundary lines, which matters when planning or checking the painted layout.
The court has many smaller marked regions, but they sit within that larger rectangle. The centre line divides frontcourt and backcourt; free-throw lanes and three-point markings organise other parts of play. Learning the overall dimensions first makes it easier to understand how those features fit together without mistaking one painted zone for the full court.
By the numbers
28 m
Court length
15 m
Court width
420 m²
Calculated rectangular playing area
How we know
Article 2.1 of the 2024 Official Basketball Rules supplies the length, width, surface description, and inner-edge measurement instruction. FIBA’s court diagrams then show the relationship among sidelines, endlines, baskets, and internal markings. The rulebook also discusses the wider playing floor, so the playing court should not be confused with every usable square metre around it.
The boundary convention is a particularly useful contrast with racket sports. In FIBA basketball, the boundary lines are not part of the playing court. A player contacting a boundary line is out of bounds. Measuring from their inner edges is therefore consistent with a rectangle whose painted outer boundaries do not provide additional legal standing space.
Worth remembering
- The FIBA playing court is a 28 by 15 metre rectangle.
- Measurements start at the inner boundary-line edges.
- The court is smaller than the total space needed for a venue.
In context
Television framing can conceal the difference between playing area and operational space. Team benches, advertising structures, and the scorer’s table may look close to a sideline, but they are not dimensions of the court itself. Always compare like measurements when contrasting facilities or competition formats.
A closer look
The edge is a rule, not just paint
A sideline affects possession decisions because a player’s location depends on contact with the floor and other relevant surfaces. When a player steps on a boundary line, the player is out of bounds. This differs from tennis, where a ball touching the relevant court boundary line is generally in. The same visual feature can serve opposite legal roles in different sports.
The official dimensions stop at the inside edge of those lines. Multiplying 28 by 15 gives 420 square metres, but that calculation says nothing about seats, benches, scorer’s equipment, or safe clearance. A designer who treated the rectangle as the entire building footprint would leave out essential space for the game to operate.
How a fixed rectangle organises movement
Players must advance the ball through a court whose length and width are stable, while separate timing rules limit how long they can take. Passing lanes, defensive pressure, and transitions all happen within that common geometry. The size does not dictate a particular strategy, but it establishes how much floor a team can spread across and how far a long pass must travel.
Court width also interacts with three-point markings. The curved arc and straight corner sections are not interchangeable distances drawn on an otherwise empty floor; they sit within the prescribed rectangle and leave particular spaces near the sidelines. A player standing near a corner must manage both the scoring boundary and the out-of-bounds boundary, sometimes with little room between them.
For a straightforward measurement check, first identify which painted lines are the actual sidelines and endlines. A multi-sport hall may contain several overlapping rectangles in different colours. Measuring the wrong pair can produce an apparently persuasive number for a court that has not been identified correctly. Once the basketball boundaries are established, apply the inner-edge convention consistently in both directions. Internal features such as the free-throw line or centre circle cannot substitute for checking the full outer rectangle, because a layout can contain recognisable markings without having the prescribed overall dimensions.
Related facts
Compare the specified target height in a different sport. A regulation basketball ring sits 3.05 metres above the floor.
See how location changes the value of a successful shot. A successful FIBA three-point field goal is worth three points.
Compare another rule that fixes the size of a playing surface. A regulation tennis court is 23.77 metres long.
See how a format change alters the legal landing area. Doubles tennis uses a wider court than singles.
Key terms
- FIBA playing court
- FIBA court measuring 28 by 15 metres.
- Boundary-line measurement
- Dimensions measured from the inner boundary-line edges.
People also ask
Is a FIBA court the same as every basketball court?
No. Other organisations and modified games can use different specifications. This claim is deliberately about FIBA’s standard full court. A school gym or recreational facility should be described according to its actual governing rules rather than assumed to match an international layout.
Are the lines included in 28 by 15 metres?
FIBA says the dimensions are measured from the inner edges of the boundary lines. The lines themselves are not part of the playing court. That convention is important both for accurate marking and for understanding why standing on a boundary line means being out of bounds.
What does the 420 square metre figure mean?
It is the area calculated by multiplying the stated length and width. It covers the rectangular playing court, not the whole playing floor or a recommended building size. The number is a derived explanation, not a separate quoted measurement from the rulebook.
Where is the centre line?
It is drawn across the court parallel to the endlines through the midpoints of the sidelines. It separates frontcourt and backcourt for the rules governing possession and movement. Its exact legal treatment also depends on the team’s direction of attack, not merely which side looks left on television.
Can furniture sit just outside the painted rectangle?
The playing court dimensions alone do not answer safe placement questions. FIBA also regulates the wider floor, obstructions, equipment, and related clearances. A correctly sized rectangle is necessary for the specified layout, but it does not by itself establish that a venue is suitable or safe.
