If you have played or watched basketball, you must indeed appreciate how much the 3-point line means to the game. It comes in handy in separating the two-point area from that line that counts as three points. It is usually set at a specific distance from the basket.
So, why do we have the 3-point line? This line serves various purposes, depending on the play. Ideally, any shooter who goes beyond this point garners three points for the team. Remember, field goals could be either two or three points.
Further, this line will be the one to divide players whenever there is a throw. During this time, the team taking the throw will have three players on the line, where one will be the shooter as the other two will be aiming at making use of the rebound.
It will also be fair for you to know the shape of this line. Usually, it comes as an arc but with two straight lines. These lines are not only parallel to each other but also emerge from each end. You will get them three feet away from the sidelines.
Interestingly, you will find different 3-point lines. You will come across the high school, college, NBA, WNBA, and other different 3-point lines. Perhaps we should explore each of them for you to understand better. They do include the following.
• High School 3-point line
The high school 3-point line is about 19 feet and 19 inches from the basket. It comes with a straight line extending out 5 feet, 3 inches from the baseline. In meters, the distance is about 6.32. We could attribute this to the fact that their court is much shorter than the NBA one. This dimension will cover those in middle school too.
• G League and NBA
The 3-point line in this league is usually about 23 feet and 9 inches, which is approximately 7.24 meters. Remember, this league is for professionals, and they will always cover a bigger yard compared to other leagues. With such changes, you can only expect that their arc is much more significant.
• College
Players in college will often expect a -point arc that is about 20 feet and 9 inches from the basket. This distance is about 6.32 meters if converted.
• WNBA
It would be unfair not to mention the distance of the 3-point arc in the women’s league. Usually, theirs lies at about 22 feet and 2 inches, which is almost 2 feet shorter than that in the Nba. We could attribute this to the size of their court, which is often much shorter too.
• Fiba
Fiba here represents the leagues across Europe. The standard 3-point in this continent lies at about 22 feet and 2 inches, or 6.75 meters. It is equivalent to that in the women’s league but shorter than the NBA.
Indeed, this line has gone on to change the whole experience of the game. It has redefined not only how people throw the ball but also how they take shots. You cannot overlook the fact that we have many people that can throw the ball at a distance. Perhaps, it is, for this reason, that there has been a constant change in the span of this arc. How about we take a look at a little history of this line.
The three-point line came into existence back in 1961 in the American Basketball League. It lasted for not more than two seasons, as this league folded in 1 and a half years. It was not until the mid-1960s that it was reintroduced again. During this entire period, the arc went through multiple changes. The distance from the basket has continuously been altered, and indeed, it has resulted in the best results.
For instance, statistics show that Michael Jordan improved his shooting accuracy once this line came back into force. That implies that with this line, the game is not only better but also able to improve the players’ skills.
In conclusion, we can all agree that the 3-point line is one of the definitive aspects of the game. However, the distance from the basket will always differ according to the league. As one grows from an amateur to a professional, they seem to enter into bigger courts, allowing them to enjoy the value of distant arcs.
