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Where is the 3 point line?

Author

Rachel Ellis

Published Jan 17, 2026

The NBA has a 22-foot 3-point line in the corners and a 23-foot, 9-inch line elsewhere. The WNBA and the international game plays with a 20-foot, 6-inch line. The NCAA men's game has a 20-foot, 9-inch line while the NCAA women and high schools have a 19-foot, 9-inch line.

Where is the 3 point line in basketball?

At the top of the arc, the three-point line is 6.75 meters from the center of the basket or 22.15 feet. This measurement works out to about 22 feet, two inches. The FIBA three-point line, which has also been adopted by the WNBA, is over a foot and a half closer than the NBA line.

How far is the 3 point line NBA?

It was during three years that the NBA decided to change the distance of the three-point line, reducing it from 23 feet nine inches to 22 feet.

How far away is the 3 point line in college basketball?

The Blue Devils and Eagles combined to miss the game's first 27 attempts from beyond the 3-point line, which is now the international distance of 22 feet, 1.75 inches.

How far is a 3 point shot?

Though the distances differ between all levels of basketball, the 3-point line is universal. The NBA has a 22-foot 3-point line in the corners and a 23-foot, 9-inch line elsewhere. The WNBA and the international game plays with a 20-foot, 6-inch line.

30 related questions found

Did they extend the 3 point line?

The NBA shortened its 3-point line to a uniform 22 feet before the 1994-95 season but moved it back after the 1996-97 season. Since the most recent change, 3-pointers as a share of all shots taken by Division I men's teams has dropped — to 37.5 percent last season and 37.6 so far this season, through games of Jan.

Is Olympic 3 point line shorter than NBA?

The court dimensions are slightly smaller on the International playing field. Dimensions are measured at 94' x 50' for the NBA and 91'10" x 49'2.5" for FIBA. As a result, the three point line scales down along with the court size. The FIBA three point line measures at 20'6" while the NBA is at 23'9".

How many points is a shot outside the 3 point line worth?

They try to steal the ball, contest shots, steal and deflect passes, and garner rebounds. When a team makes a basket, they score two points and the ball goes to the other team. If a basket, or field goal, is made outside of the three-point arc, then that basket is worth three points. A free throw is worth one point.

How far is the 3 point line from the rim?

The distance from the basket to the three-point line varies by competition level: in the National Basketball Association (NBA) the arc is 23 feet 9 inches (7.24 m) from the center of the basket; in FIBA, the WNBA, the NCAA (all divisions), and the NAIA, the arc is 6.75 m (22 ft 1.75 in).

Who invented the 3 point line?

Chris Ford of the Boston Celtics is credited with making the NBA's first 3-pointer, in a 114-106 win over the Houston Rockets. The 3-point line made its way to all FIBA competitions at a distance of 20-feet and six inches in 1984 before making its Olympic debut in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea.

When did 3pt line start in NBA?

The N.B.A. introduced the 3-point shot in the 1979-80 season.

When did the NBA move the 3 point line back?

More videos from. The NBA introduced the 3-point line in 1979, and not much changed right away. Players weren't used to shooting from far out, so for the first few years, they mostly didn't. It wasn't until the 1986–'87 season that the league as a whole scored more than 100 3-pointers in one season.

How far is the 3-point line from the top of the key?

The NBA adopted the three-point line at the start of the 1979–80 season. This is of variable distance, ranging from 22 feet (6.7 m) in the corners to 23.75 feet (7.24 m) behind the top of the key.

How far back is free-throw line?

Free-Throw Distance

The NBA, the NCAA and the National Federation of State High School Associations dictate that the free-throw line is 15 feet horizontally from the plane of the front of the backboard. The free-throw line on international courts is 15.09 feet from the backboard.

What is the area of the basketball court?

A basketball court is 91.86ft long and 49.21ft wide. The total playing area for a court is 4520.43 ft² and 7290.5ft² if run-offs and sidelines are required.

Who invented the 3 point shot in basketball?

The inventor of the 3-pointer? That's up for debate. In 1933, Herman Sayger, a high school coach in the Midwest and a former Indiana prep star, devised a new scoring system: Shots within 15 feet of the basket were good for 1 point, shots from 15 to 25 feet were 2, shots beyond 25 feet were 3 points.

How tall is an NBA rim?

Throughout gyms, parks, and driveways around the world, basketball hoops are almost always 10 feet (3 meters) off the ground. Some leagues for young children play on shorter hoops, but from junior high schools through the professional leagues, the game is played on hoops of the standard 10-foot height.

Why is basketball called basketball?

For that first game of basketball in 1891, Naismith used as goals two half-bushel peach baskets, which gave the sport its name.

How far back is the college 3 point line?

The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved changes to the 3-point line that sees the distance moving to 22 feet, 1 ¾ inches, matching that of the international distance. This is a move back from the previous collegiate distance of 20 feet, nine inches. The change will take effect this upcoming season.

When was shot clock introduced?

The shot clock was originally introduced in the NBA in 1954 as a way to increase scoring and reduce stalling tactics that were commonly used before its inception. It has been credited with increasing fan interest in the then-fledgling league, and has since been adopted at most organized levels of basketball.

Why is the corner 3 Easy?

That's why despite it being the easiest of the 3-pointers based on distance, players have to shoot from the corner quicker than they would from behind the arc, which is 23 feet, 9 inches from the center of the rim. Hornacek said he's always amazed at how many players are unprepared to take the corner 3.

Is the corner 3 point shot shorter?

Almost invariably these shots are described as the “shorter corner 3.” And it's true, the line is 22 feet from the basket in the corner, while it extends to 23 feet, 9 inches around the rest of the arc. However, that extra distance is not the primary determining factor in the increased accuracy of the shot.

How far is a high school 3 point line from the backboard?

The three-point line is 22.15′ from the center of the basketball hoop. The free throw lane is 15 feet from the backboard and 19 feet from the edge of the field.