One of the biggest achievements in basketball is being able to touch the rim and dunk the ball on an official NBA hoop that stands at a whopping 10 feet tall. However, for those of us that are working our way up and are looking to see just how high we can get our hand up, there are a few other benchmarks to consider. One of those benchmarks is being able to touch the net. Below, we will discuss how tall a basketball net is, how high it is from the ground, and what you can do to determine how far you can reach on the net.
| Location | Distance |
| Floor To Bottom Of Net | 8.5 feet |
| Floor To Rim | 10 feet |
| Net Length | 1.5 feet |
What is the Regulation Basketball Net Height?
Being able to get your hand at or above the bottom of the net is a huge achievement and is a significant indicator that being able to grab the rim is inevitable. But you may be wondering, how long is a basketball net, and what is the length from the ground to the bottom of the bet? Within the the NBA Official Rulebook, Rule No. 1 states that, “Each basket shall consist of a pressure-release NBA approved metal safety ring 18” in inside diameter with a white cord net 18” in length.”. This means that, if we are using a 10 ft. NBA basketball hoop, the bottom of the net will be approximately 8.5 ft. from the ground.
The reason I say “approximately” is because this is assuming that you are using a new, non-chain net (i.e. a net that can be stretched). Over time, especially if you are hanging on the net a lot, it can start to stretch significantly. So if you’re looking to preserve the net’s shape and length as much as possible, the best thing to do would be to not hang on it. If you want to see how high up you can get on the net, just hold your hand straight up and try to touch the net at the highest point you’re able to.
What Are A Basketball Net’s Dimensions?
In addition to the 18-inch length, a basketball net’s largest diameter at the top (where the rim meets the net, is 18 inches in diameter as well. You may also notice that most basket nets taper down in size towards the bottom. Although there is no official diameter for this portion of the net, a basketball’s diameter tends to be between 9 and 10 inches. So, we can assume that the bottom diameter is around 10-12 inches or so.