Very soon, you’ll see a major shift on women’s college basketball courts: beginning with the 2021-22 season, teams will play with their 3-point line set at the international distance of 22 feet, 1¾ inches. This is one of many recent rulings by the NCAA’s Playing Rules Oversight Panel, and is meant to improve player experience, meet player skill levels, and designate a standard 3-point distance for all non-NBA basketball organizations. Read on to learn what the NCAA’s new ruling means for your court, and how Sports Floors can help you get your floors ready for the 2021-22 season!
The NCAA’s Ruling, Explained
Historically, NCAA basketball 3-point lines for both men and women have been set at 20 feet, 9 inches. If your regulation NCAA basketball court has not been updated in the past few years, this is likely the current distance of your 3-point line.
Before the 2019-20 season, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel moved the men’s 3-point line back to 22 feet and 1¾ inches. This distance matches the WNBA, the FIBA, and international basketball leagues’ court 3-point length. However, the NCAA did not move the line back for women’s college basketball at the time.
Recently, the NCAA Women’s Basketball Rules Committee proposed that the 3-point line be moved back to 22 feet, 1¾ inches after studying statistical trends that showed the number of attempted and successful 3-point field goal attempts reached all-time high levels in all three divisions during the 2020-21 season. They also cited improved offensive spacing and reduced confusion around multiple 3-point lines on NCAA courts as reasons for shifting the line back.
The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved moving the 3-point line to the international distance of 22 feet, 1¾ inches in women’s basketball, beginning with the 2021-22 season. This means that all leagues (except for men’s NBA teams) now play with the same 3-point line.
Needless to say, this means that all women’s college basketball courts will need to be updated in order to comply with league regulations and standards for the upcoming season, with new measurements and new lines painted.
Trust Sports Floors, Inc. To Update Your Courts
You can count on Sports Floors to get your courts in peak condition for the 2021-22 NCAA season. We’re trusted by colleges, high schools, community centers, churches, and more across the Southeast to keep their floors beautiful and sport-proof.
During your annual screen and recoat process, we will precisely paint the new line to match both the look of your court and NCAA regulation. We perform this maintenance for hundreds of clients across the Mid-South every year to ensure that their athletes can keep giving their all on the best floors possible!
Whether you need to move your 3-point line, refresh your floor, or simply want to learn more about what we can do for your facility, get in touch with us today!