As mentioned in a previous post, basketball was invented in 1891 by James Naismith, a gym teacher. Peach baskets were used for hoops and a soccer ball for the ball. Naismith didn’t list a court size in his initial 13 rules, but they typically were limited to the size of the gym.
As the game grew in popularity, teams needed standard dimensions for the court. In 1924, it was agreed that courts would be a maximum of 90 by 50 feet and a minimum of 60 by 30 feet. At the same time, they agreed that the basket rim height would be 10 feet, which has remained to this day.
In 1979, the NBA tested and installed the 3 point line which has become a critical part of the game today. The current official court dimensions for the NCAA and the NBA are 94 feet long and 50 feet wide.
In 1999, Douglas Byrd of Grand Prairie, Texas was granted a patent for a new basketball ball court design. Byrd’s design was identical to the NBA and NCAA courts of the time except for two 18 inch circles directly below the net. Byrd’s invention sought to make calling charging and blocking fouls easier for referees. Unfortunately, the NBA and NCAA have not used Byrd’s design, but, if charging and blocking become more difficult to call in the coming years maybe they will.
