What Size Basketball Does the NBA Use?

The size of a basketball used in the NBA is slightly larger than the size of a ball used in high school or college.

NBA Basketballs

The basketballs that are used in the NBA are regulation size. They are 29.5 inches in circumference and they weigh 22 ounces. Every ball that is used in an NBA game has to be inspected by the officials before the game starts. When a ball is used in an NBA game, it is put into a special bin.

Official size

The official size of an NBA basketball is 29.5 inches in circumference and weighs 22 ounces. These balls are usually made from a leather or synthetic material and have a pebbled surface for improved grip. The NBA has used this size of ball since 1983, when it was standardized as part of an effort to reduce the number of players injured by errant passes.

Official weight

The official weight of an NBA basketball is 22 ounces.

NBA Basketballs and Other Leagues

The NBA uses a size 7 basketball for all games. This is the same size as a women’s basketball and is also the size used in the Olympics. The other leagues, such as the WNBA, NCAA, and FIBA, all use size 6 balls. The size 6 ball is also the size used in high school and middle school games.

WNBA

The WNBA ball is slightly smaller than the NBA ball. It has a circumference of 28.5 inches and a weight of 20 ounces.

NCAA

The NCAA, or National Collegiate Athletic Association, is the organization that governs college sports in the United States. The organization sets rules and regulations for the sport, including the size of the basketball. For men’s basketball, the official ball size is 29.5 inches in circumference and 9.25 inches in diameter. For women’s basketball, the official ball size is 28.5 inches in circumference and 9 inches in diameter.

Other Professional Leagues

The NBA uses a size 7 basketball for all of its games. However, other professional leagues use different sizes. For example, the WNBA uses a size 6 basketball and FIBA uses a size 6 basketball for its games.

FIBA

The International Basketball Federation, more commonly known by its French initials FIBA, is an association of national organizations which promotes and organizes the sport of basketball throughout the world. Originally known as the Fédération Internationale de Basket-ball Amateur, FIBA was founded in Geneva, Switzerland on 18 June 1932, with ten national federations in attendance. Its current headquarters are located in Mies, Switzerland.

FIBA consists of five zone federations: Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. The selection process for each zone’s team began in 1957 when FIBA held the first Basketball World Championship for Women. The tournament was held in Moscow, Soviet Union and seventeen nations competed. The Soviet Union won all seven of their games to take home the gold medal. Australia took silver while Brazil captured the bronze medal.

The selection process for each zone’s team began in 1957 when FIBA held the first Basketball World Championship for Women. The tournament was held in Moscow, Soviet Union and seventeen nations competed. The Soviet Union won all seven of their games to take home the gold medal. Australia took silver while Brazil captured the bronze medal.

Euroleague

The Euroleague, also known as the Turkish Airlines Euroleague for sponsorship reasons, is the top-tier level professional basketball club competition in Europe, organised by Euroleague Basketball (EB).

Since 2000, the competition has been commonly referred to as the Euroleague. For Euroleague Basketball records purposes, the FIBA European Champions Cup (1959–66) and the FIBA European League (1967–2000) are considered as the same competition, with their champion being eligible to enter the Euroleague Final Four (vanity event created in 1987).

In standard FIBA tournaments, European clubs could only enter by winning their respective national domestic league championship. However, in typical league format of most North American professional sports leagues like NBA or NHL where teams play a balanced schedule with all other teams in league during regular season, best teams advance to playoff tournament at end of season leading up to championship game. So there was no way for strongest European clubs to play each other on regular basis like they do in NBA or NHL. To address that issue and create top-level European club competition that would rival North American professional basketball leagues like NBA or NHL, FIBA created Champions Cup in 1958 that allowed only national domestic champions of European countries to compete against each other in Europe-wide tournament leading up to one champion being crowned at end of season like playoffs in North American professional basketball leagues. In order for clubs from smaller European countries with weaker domestic leagues to be competitive against clubs from larger countries with stronger domestic leagues and have chance to win Champions Cup/Euroleague title, FIBA later enlarged tournament field starting from 1966 by allowing 2nd and 3rd place finishers from domestic leagues of larger countries into tournament as well which increased number of teams from 10 during first eight years of tournament’s existence up to 18 by 1974.enlarge

Number of teams competing in tournament would remain same until 1990 when it was increased from 18 up to 24 and would eventually peak at 36 teams competing in 2000 before it was reduced back down to 24 starting with 2001–02 season.

Amateur Leagues

Most basketball leagues for amateurs, including high school and college, use a 28.5-inch ball. That’s the size recommended by the International Basketball Federation, the sport’s world governing body. The NBA has always used a larger ball, first measuring 30 inches in diameter before moving to its current size of 29.5 inches during the 1983-84 season.

High school

The high school size basketball is 28.5 inches in circumference. It has a standard size of 7 feet by 10 feet, with a hoop that is 18 inches in diameter. The net on a regulation high school basketball goal hangs 10 feet above the ground.

Youth

The size of the ball used in basketball varies depending on the league and level of play. In general, however, most competitive leagues use a standard 29.5-inch ball for men and a 28.5-inch ball for women and youth players.

The NBA uses a size 7 ball for all regular season and playoff games. This is the same size as used in high school and college basketball games. The only exception is during the Slam Dunk Contest, when a smaller size 6 ball is used to make it easier for participants to dunk the ball.

The WNBA follows the same rules as the NBA, using a size 7 ball throughout their regular season and playoffs. However, during pre-season games and some practice sessions, they use a size 6 ball to help players develop their skills.

In FIBA play, which includes international competitions like the Olympics and the World Championships, both men and women use a size 6 ball. This smaller size makes it more challenging to shoot from long range, so players need to be more accurate when taking shots from beyond the arc.