The official rules of the National Basketball Association, the Women's National Basketball Association and the National Collegiate Athletic Association all dictate a particular height for the basket rum and net. Individual teams and facilities must ensure that their basket rims have the appropriate height.
Professional Basketball
NBA and WNBA rules require the basketball goal's rim to sit exactly 10 feet above the floor and parallel to the floor.
College Basketball
The National Collegiate Athletic Association, the governing body for competitive college sports, stipulates that the basket ring should sit 10 feet above the floor and parallel to the floor for men's and women's basketball. Take measurements from the top of the rim.
Youth Basketball
National Federation of State High School Association basketball rules call for a rim 10 feet above the floor. Informal recreational basketball leagues may use shorter rims to accommodate younger players.
History
The original version of basketball, invented by Dr. James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1891, required a peach basket hung 10 feet above the floor. In early basketball games, successful shots would remain in the closed basket until someone retrieved it using a ladder. While many of the original basketball rules have changed and evolved, the basket height has remained at 10 feet ever since 1891.
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