The dimensions for a basketball backboard vary slightly among levels, as do the dimensions of the playing court. The specifications are similar, but not exact the same, for high school, collegiate, professional and international play. Basketball rules and specifications are dictated by various governing organizations. Most organizations specify exact backboard dimensions, while others offer options depending on the circumstances.
High School Basketball
The governing body for high school sports is the National Federation of State High School Associations. High school basketball courts are 84 feet long and 50 feet wide. The NFHS dictates that backboards can be a rectangle or fan shape. The rectangular boards can be either 6 feet wide and 4 feet tall or 6 feet wide and 3 1/2 feet tall. The fan backboards must be 54 inches wide. The upper edge of the backboard is 13 feet above the floor for rectangular boards and 12 feet 8 inches above the floor for fan-shaped boards.
College Basketball
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is the governing body for college sports. College basketball courts are 94 feet long and 50 feet wide. The backboards are rectangular and the same dimensions as high school backboards: 6 feet wide and 3 1/2 feet tall or 6 feet wide and 4 feet tall. The upper edge of the backboard is 13 feet above the floor.
Professional Basketball
The National Basketball Association is the main professional basketball league in the United States. The court size is the same as for collegiate play, but the NBA allows only one style of backboard: a rectangular board measuring 6 feet wide and 3 1/2 feet high. The backboard must be transparent with a 24-by-18-inch rectangle marked on it. The lines of the white rectangle must be 2 inches thick.
International Basketball
The International Basketball Federation dictates the rules of international basketball competitions. Basketball courts are 28 m by 15 m, or 92 feet by 50 feet. The backboard dimensions are in the NBA, although FIBA publishes the measurements in metric units of 1,800 mm by 1,050 mm. A horizontal margin of error of 30 mm, or 1.18 inches, and a horizontal margin of 20 mm, or three-quarters of an inch, is allowed.
References
- National Federation of State High School Associations: Basketball Publications
- National Collegiate Athletic Association: Rule 1: Court and Equipment
- National Basketball Association: Rule No. 1: Court Dimensions and Equipment
- International Basketball Federation: Official Basketball Rules 2010: Basketball Equipment
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