What Is the Official Height of a Basketball Hoop?
The official height of a regulation basketball hoop is 10 feet, measured from the top edge of the rim to the floor. This rim height is used by the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, most high schools and Olympic basketball.
The standard height for the basketball hoop may have originated from basketball’s inventor, James Naismith. In 1891, Naismith worked as a physical education teacher at the Young Men’s Christian Association in Massachusetts. He wanted a good indoor activity to keep his students active during the winter, so he nailed a basket 10 feet up on the wall in the gymnasium.
A standard basketball hoop is made of steel, is 18 inches in diameter and has a net attached. The hoop is attached to a backboard, with a standard size of 6 feet by 3.5 feet.
