When planning a basketball court, it helps to know the official dimensions of both game formats. FIBA standards precisely define court size, zones and lines - for both 5-on-5 and popular 3x3 basketball. Knowing these dimensions lets you plan the investment properly and avoid disappointment afterwards.
5x5 basketball - official FIBA dimensions
A full 5-on-5 basketball court to FIBA standards is:
- length: 28 m,
- width: 15 m,
- playing area: 420 m²,
- with minimum run-off zones: at least 30 × 17 m of free space (510 m²).
5x5 court lines:
- centre line dividing the court into two halves,
- three-point line: 6.75 m arc from the centre of the hoop (in court corners a straight line parallel to the sideline),
- three-second zone (restricted area): 4.9 × 5.8 m rectangle under the backboard,
- free-throw line: 4.6 m from the end line,
- centre circle: 1.8 m radius.
A full 5x5 court in backyard conditions is rare - it requires a plot above 3000 m². It appears more often at semi-public facilities, schools and sports centres.
3x3 basketball - official FIBA dimensions
A 3x3 basketball court to FIBA standards is half a 5x5 court with one hoop:
- length: 15 m,
- width: 11 m,
- playing area: 165 m²,
- with run-off zones: minimum 17 × 13 m (221 m²).
3x3 court lines:
- two-point line (equivalent of the three-point line in 5x5): 6.75 m arc from the centre of the hoop,
- restricted area under the backboard,
- free-throw line: 4.6 m from the end line,
- no-charge arc: 1.25 m arc under the hoop.
Half 3x3 court - the most popular backyard format
For most backyard courts the optimal format is the so-called half 3x3 court - one half with a single hoop. Dimensions from 8 × 6 m to 11 × 9 m fit a typical residential plot and allow proper 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 play, shooting practice from the 6.75 m line and technical drills.
In the 10 × 8 m variant all 3x3 marking elements fit: the two-point line, the area under the backboard and the free-throw line.
Hoop height
Official hoop height in both 3x3 and 5x5 is 3.05 m from the playing surface to the top edge of the ring. On backyard courts a popular choice is height-adjustable hoops - from 2.1 m for the youngest children to 3.05 m for adults. Most Hoopair and Goalrilla models in the Hoop And Court range offer this function.
If you are planning a FIBA-compliant court and want to check whether your plot meets the requirements, contact Hoop And Court - we will help assess available space and plan the court layout.