Sports Court Line Markings: Basketball, Volleyball, Handball, Tennis and Futsal Dimensions

Lines are the final step that makes a sports surface ready to play. The right dimensions, width and paint ensure compliance with the rules and keep players from confusing lines on multi-sport courts.

Line markings are the basis for using a court within the rules. From a multi-use school court to a professional arena, lines are applied to the dimensions defined in the relevant federation rules. Below you will find the key line dimensions of the most common sports in one place.

Basketball (FIBA)

• Court: 28 m x 15 m (from the inner edges of the lines).
• Line width: 5 cm.
• Three-point line: 6.75 m from the point on the floor below the centre of the basket; 0.90 m inside the sidelines on the straight sections.
• Free-throw line: 5.80 m from the inner edge of the end line; 3.60 m long.
• Restricted area (paint): a 4.90 m x 5.80 m rectangle.
• No-charge semicircle: 1.25 m radius.

For hoop and backboard dimensions see our basketball hoop types and dimensions article.

Volleyball

• Court: 18 m x 9 m.
• Line width: 5 cm (lines are included in the court dimensions).
• Attack line: 3 m from the centre line.
• Free zone: at least 3 m on all sides; wider for top-level competition.

Handball

• Court: 40 m x 20 m.
• Goal: 3 m x 2 m.
• Goal area line: 6 m; free-throw line (dashed): 9 m; 7 m line.
• Line width: 5 cm; the goal line between the posts is 8 cm.

Futsal

• Pitch: length 25–42 m, width 16–25 m; 38–42 m x 20–25 m for international matches.
• Goal: 3 m x 2 m.
• Line width: 8 cm.
• Penalty area: quarter circles of 6 m radius from the posts joined by a straight line.

Tennis

• Doubles court: 23.77 m x 10.97 m; singles width 8.23 m.
• Service line: 6.40 m from the net.
• Line width: baseline up to 10 cm; centre service line 5 cm; other lines 2.5–5 cm.

Padel

• Court: 20 m x 10 m.
• Service line: 6.95 m from the net.
• Line width: 5 cm.

See our padel court dimensions article for details.

Planning lines on multi-sport courts

On school and municipal courts, basketball, volleyball, handball and futsal are often played on the same surface. In that case:

• The main (most played) sport gets the most visible colour; the others get clearly distinguishable colours.
• Where lines cross, the main sport's line stays continuous.
• Court size is set by the largest sport (usually handball or futsal) including its safety zones.

Line marking by surface

• Acrylic and polyurethane hard courts: compatible acrylic or polyurethane line paint applied with masking tape.
• EPDM and rubber surfaces: flexible polyurethane-based line paint.
• Artificial turf: lines are tufted in at the factory or cut-in strips of a different colour are glued in.
• Natural grass: water-based turf marking paint applied with a line marking machine and renewed regularly.
• Modular plastic floors: lines are painted on the tiles or formed with different-coloured tiles. See plastic sports floor.

SFS Engineering applies surfaces and lines to the correct dimensions in outdoor sports court and sports hall projects. For football lines see football pitch dimensions, and for athletics athletics track dimensions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How wide are basketball court lines?

Under FIBA rules all basketball lines are 5 cm wide, in white or a single colour that contrasts with the floor.

What size is a volleyball court?

18 m x 9 m; the attack line is 3 m from the centre line and a free zone of at least 3 m surrounds the court.

How are lines told apart on a multi-sport court?

Each sport is marked in a different colour; the most used sport gets the most visible colour and continuous lines at crossings.

Are lines painted on artificial turf?

Permanent lines are usually tufted in or glued in as coloured strips. Special paints for artificial turf can be used for temporary markings.

Get technical support for your project: SFS Engineering handles site survey, design, material selection and installation as a single contractor. Send us your dimensions and site details through our contact page and we will work out the right solution together.