Official Basketball Rules
for All Levels of Competition

Welcome to your complete resource for official basketball rules for all levels of play.

Looking for youth, NCAA, or high school basketball rules?

How about regulations for the NBA, WNBA, or FIBA?

You'll find them all here.

official basketball rules

Gyms across the country are filled with screaming fans who don't know the official rules for the particular level of game they're watching.

Many people assume the rules of basketball are the same whether they're attending a high school, college, or NBA game.

But they're not...

In fact, not since James Naismith first published his Original 13 Rules of Basketball, has there been one standard set of rules.

And though there are basic rules common to all levels of competition, there are some significant technical differences in basketball regulations.

Each level of basketball uses different basketball court dimensions.

See how the basketball court diagrams of high school, college, pro, and international courts compare.

Different basketball sizes are also used.

Take a look at each level and see how the rules compare.


youth basketball rules

Unlike the other levels of competition, youth basketball leagues are not governed by a single legislative body.

As a result, youth basketball rules vary depending on the organization running the league.


high school basketball rules

I've summarized most of the high school basketball rules by topic.

For the latest high school basketball rules book published by the National Federation of State High School Associations, click on the the picture to the left.

The NFHS publishes playing rules for high school sports to ensure consistent standards and rules for competition across the country.


NCAA rules

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) oversees the college game.

There is an NCAA Men's Basketball Rules Committee that determines the rules for the men's college game, and there's a separate committee that establishes rules for women's college basketball.

Download your free copy of the latest NCAA basketball rules.

It's amazing to see how much the NCAA basketball rules have changed over time!


rules of basketball - NBA

We have professional basketball leagues in the U.S. for both men and women, and each league has its own set of official basketball rules.

Male pro players in the U.S. are governed by the NBA basketball rules established by the National Basketball Association.

The women's professional league follows the WNBA rules set forth by the Women's National Basketball Association.


Official basketball rules for international competition are established by the Federation Internationale de Basketball, or FIBA.

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