For junior high and older players, the foul line is 15 feet from the backboard. The Biddy League for youth players lets 7-to-8-year-old children to use an 8-foot high basket to develop basic shooting mechanics. They shoot from a free throw line 12 feet, 10 inches from the backboard.
In middle school and high school, the height of the foul line is raised to 18 inches for girls and 20 inches for boys. This allows more space for younger players while still giving them enough distance when they reach their peak growth spurt.
The maximum allowed height of a basketball player's shoe is 9 inches (23 cm). Shoes with heights greater than this are considered custom shoes and are generally more expensive.
Shoes must be worn on the court during play; therefore, the height of the foul line determines how far back a player can sit. A low foul line allows taller players an advantage, while a high foul line gives shorter players a chance to get to the ball before their opponents.
In college, the foul line is usually set at 35 inches (89 cm) from the floor. This allows time for players to work on their shots while still giving them room to grow. A higher limit may be used in professional leagues.
In high school, the foul line is usually set at 40 inches (101 cm), which is about the length of a normal bed.
The half court line is located halfway between each end line, as the name implies. A six-foot-radius tip-off circle in the middle of the half-court line is typically adorned with the host team's emblem. The key is 16 feet broad by 19 feet long from the baseline to the foul line.
The FIBA 3-point line is 22.15 feet away from the basket and 21.65 feet out from the corners. The WNBA and FIBA both utilize the same 3-point line. The NCAA 3-point line distance for both men and women is 20.75 feet. The 3-point line distance for both boys and girls in high school is 19.75 feet.
At the ends of the court, the baseline/endline runs from sideline to sideline behind the backboard. They are generally situated four feet behind the basket and have a width of 50 feet. Depending on whose team controls the ball, the phrases baseline and endline are interchangeable.
The "foul line" distance for all courts is 15 feet from the foul line to the front of the backboard. The "foul line" is located 18 feet and 10 inches from the baseline. The Key: "The key" (also known as "the alley") is 12 feet wide.
There are actually two lines used by referees to call illegal moves at both ends of the court. The "free throw line" is the red line that starts just inside each corner of the key and extends out to the midpoint between the top corners of the key. A legal shot must be taken with the ball within the free throw line or it is considered a missed shot. The other line is called the "three-point line". This blue line runs parallel to the free throw line but 3 feet farther away from it. Only players with the ball can go over this line and score points.
A game consists of five ten-minute periods, which can be lengthened to six minutes if necessary. At the end of four quarters, the team with more points wins. If teams are tied after four quarters, an additional quarter is played until one team gains a lead large enough to avoid a further extension. In this case, they win by default.
In basketball, there are seven ways to lose a game: forfeit, disqualification, loss by injury, loss by timeout, loss by delay of game, loss by double dribble.
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