Standard Measurements in Sports

Here you can find the standard measurements used in baseball, basketball, bowling, boxing, football, golf, hockey, and tennis.

BASEBALL

Home plate to pitcher's box:60 feet 6 inches.

Plate to second base:127 feet 3 3/8 inches.

Distance from base to base (home plate included):90 feet.

Size of bases:15 inches by 15 inches.

Pitcher's plate:24 inches by 6 inches.

Batter's box:4 feet by 6 feet.

Home plate:Five-sided, 17 inches by 8 1/2 inches by 8 1/2 inches by 12 inches by 12 inches, cut to a point at rear.

Home plate to backstop:Not less than 60 feet (recommended).

Weight of ball:Not less than 5 ounces nor more than 5 1/4 ounces.

Circumference of ball:Not less than 9 inches nor more than 9 1/4 inches.

Bat:Must be one piece of solid wood, round, not over 2 3/4 inches in diameter at thickest part, nor more than 42 inches in length.

BASKETBALL

(National Collegiate A.A. Men's Rules)

Playing court:College: 94 feet long by 50 feet wide (ideal dimensions). High School: 84 feet long by 50 feet wide (ideal dimensions).

Baskets:Rings 18 inches in inside diameter, with white cord 12-mesh nets, 15 to 18 inches in length. Each ring is made of metal, is not more than 5/8 of an inch in diameter, and is bright orange in color.

Height of basket:10 feet (upper edge).

Weight of ball:Not less than 20 ounces nor more than 22.

Circumference of ball:Not greater than 30 inches and not less than 29 1/2.

Free-throw line:15 feet from the face of the backboard, 2 inches wide.

Three-point field goal line:19 feet, 9 inches from the center of the basket. In the National Basketball Association, the distance is 22 feet.

SOCCER

Playing field:Minimum 100 yards long by 50 yards wide; maximum: 130 yards long by 100 yards wide. International matches: Minimum 110 yards long by 70 yards wide; Maximum: 120 yards long by 80 yards wide. Longer boundary lines are called touchlines or sidelines, and shorter boundary lines are called goal lines.

Goal area:Two lines drawn at right angles to a goal line, 6 yards from the inside of each goalpost. Lines extend into playing field for 6 yards, and are joined by a line drawn parallel with the goal line.

Goals:Distance between posts is 8 yards. Distance from crossbar to the ground is 8 feet. Width and depth of bars not to exceed 5 inches.

Weight of ball:Not more than 16 ounces nor less than 14.

Circumference of ball:Not greater than 28 inches nor less than 27.

Penalty area:Two lines drawn at right angles to the goal line, 18 yards from the inside of each goalpost. Lines extend into playing field for 18 yards and are joined by a line drawn parallel with the goal line.

Center circle:Radius of 10 yards. Center at midpoint of halfway line.

Flagposts:Not less than 5 feet high, and not less than 1 yard outside the touchline.

Corner arc:Quarter circle with a radius of 1 yard from each corner flagpost drawn inside playing field.

BOWLING

Lane dimensions:Overall length 62 feet 10 3/16 inches, measuring from foul line to pit (not including tail plank), with ± 1/2 inch tolerance permitted. Foul line to center of No. 1 pinspot 60 feet, with ± 1/2 inches with a tolerance of ± 1/2 inch permitted. Approach, not less than 15 feet. Gutters, 9 5/16 inches wide with plus 3/16 inch or minus 5/16 inch tolerances permitted.

Ball:Circumference, not more than 27.002 inches. Weight, 16 pounds maximum.

BOXING

Ring:Professional matches take place in an area not less than 18 nor more than 24 feet square including apron. It is enclosed by four covered ropes, each not less than one inch in diameter. The floor has a 2-inch padding of Ensolite (or equivalent) underneath ring cover that extends at least 6 inches beyond the roped area in the case of elevated rings. For USA Boxing or Olympic-style boxing, not less than 16 nor more than 20 feet square within the ropes. The floor must extend beyond the ring ropes not less than 2 feet. The ring posts shall be connected to the four ring ropes with the extension not shorter than 18 inches and must be properly padded.

Gloves:In professional fights, not less than 8-ounce gloves generally are used. USA Boxing, 10 ounces for boxers 106 pounds through 156 pounds; 12-ounce for boxers 165 pounds through 201+ pounds; for international competition, 8 ounces for lighter classes, 10 ounces for heavier divisions.

Headguards:Mandatory in Olympic-style boxing.

FOOTBALL

(NCAA)

Length of field:120 yards (including 10 yards of end zone at each end).

Width of field:53 1/3 yards (160 feet).

Height of goal posts:At least 30 feet.

Height of crossbar:10 feet.

Width of goal posts (above crossbar):18 feet 6 inches, inside to inside.

Length of ball:10 7/8 to 11 7/16 inches (long axis).

Circumference of ball:20 3/4 to 21 1/4 inches (middle); 27 3/4 to 28 1/2 inches (long axis).

GOLF

Specifications of ball:Broadened to require that the ball be designed to perform as if it were spherically symmetrical. The weight of the ball shall not be greater than 1.620 ounces avoirdupois, and the size shall not be less than 1.680 inches in diameter.

Velocity of ball:Not greater than 250 feet per second when tested on USGA apparatus, with 2 percent tolerance.

Hole:4 1/4 inches in diameter and at least 4 inches deep.

Clubs:14 is the maximum number permitted.

Overall distance standard:A brand of ball shall not exceed a distance of 280 yards plus 6% when tested on USGA apparatus under specified conditions, on an outdoor range at USGA Headquarters.

HOCKEY

Size of rink:200 feet long by 85 feet wide surrounded by a wooden wall not less than 40 inches and not more than 48 inches above level of ice.

Size of goal:6 feet wide by 4 feet in height.

Puck:1 inch thick and 3 inches in diameter, made of vulcanized rubber; weight 5 1/2 to 6 ounces.

Length of stick:Not more than 60 inches from heel to end of shaft nor more than 12 1/2 inches from heel to end of blade. Blade should not be more than 3 inches in width but not less than 2 inches—except goal keeper's stick, which shall not exceed 3 1/2 inches in width except at the heel, where it must not exceed 4 1/2 inches, nor shall the goalkeeper's stick exceed 15 1/2 inches from the heel to the end of the blade.

TENNIS

Size of court:120 feet long by 60 feet wide, with rectangle marked off at 78 feet long by 27 feet wide (singles) and 78 feet long by 36 feet wide (doubles).

Height of net:3 feet in center, gradually rising to reach 3-foot 6-inch posts at a point 3 feet outside each side of court.

Ball:Shall be more than 2 1/2 inches and less than 2 5/8 inches in diameter and weigh more than 2 ounces and less than 2 1/6 ounces.

Service line:21 feet from net.