Learn About All of the Basketball Court Markings and Lines

Are you familiar with all the Basketball Court Markings on the floor? If not, you can learn about them here!

Regardless of the size of the basketball court, the age of the player, or the level of competition – there are certain markings that you see on every court.

Is it important to learn about and understand what these basketball court markings are! You bet it is!

Why you ask? Because these court markings indicate certain areas where specific activities or restrictions take place during a basketball game or practice. For a more thorough explanation of this, please visit our page on Youth Basketball Rules.

By learning and understanding the following basketball court markings…

Players will have a better knowledge of the different areas on the court. They will be more comfortable and confident on the court because they will know where certain activities and restrictions take place.
Parents will be more familiar with the action that takes place on the court. They will have a better overall understanding of the game and will be in a better position to teach and help their child.
Coaches will have a solid foundation of knowledge when it comes to the various areas of the court. They will be able to teach and communicate better with their players because of this knowledge.

Basketball Court Markings

Baseline – Also called the end line. This line extends across both ends of the court behind the baskets.
Blocks – The square markings six feet from the baseline on each side of the lane.
Center Circle – The circular area at midcourt where jump balls take place.
End Line – Also called the baseline. This line extends across both ends of the court behind the baskets.
Free Throw Lane – The painted area bordered by the end line and the foul line.
Free Throw Line – The line 15 feet from the backboard and parallel to the end line from which players shoot free-throws. Also called the “foul line”.
Hashmark – One of four lines extending 3 feet in from a sideline, 28 feet from and parallel to a baseline.
In-the-Paint – The inside area of the free throw lane that is painted a different color than the rest of the court.
Key – The area consisting of the foul circle, foul lane and free-throw line.
Lane – The area running from the end line to the free-throw line and extending 12 feet across. It’s also known as the “paint”.
Midcourt Line – The line in the middle of the court that separates the frontcourt from the backcourt.
Out of Bounds – The area outside of and including the end lines and sidelines.
Paint – The area inside the free-throw lane.
Perimeter – The area outside the three-second lane area.
Sidelines – The two boundary lines that run the length of the court.
Ten-Second Line – The half-court line is the ten-second line. When a team is advancing the ball up the court from their defensive end, they have ten seconds to get the ball across the half-court line.
Three-Point Line – Semi-circle that is 19 feet, 9 inches from the basket at all points.
Three-Second Lane – An area that extends from the baseline under the basket to the free-throw line. Also called the “key”.
Top of the Key – The semi-circle that extends beyond the free-throw line.

These are the primary basketball court markings that you will find today. As the great game of basketball has evolved over the years, some of these lines and markings were introduced to accommodate these changes. A great example of this would be the three point line!

If you would like to learn more about other terms or definitions of the game check out this Page With Over 200 Basketball Terms!

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I hope you found this information on the various Basketball Court Markings to be helpful and informative! Knowing what these markings mean is an important aspect of basketball – for players, parents and coaches! Having this knowledge makes you much more effective at understanding the game.