Scale Explorer

Sports

How big is a basketball?

Basketball · Size 7 ball used in men's competitions

Circumference
750–770 mm 2 ft 6 in – 2 ft 6 in range
Weight
580–620 g 1.28–1.37 lb range
Show
Tennis ball, Credit card, Basketball, Human drawn to the same scaleTennis ball: diameter 6.54–6.86 cm. Credit card: width 85.6 mm. Basketball: circumference 750–770 mm. Human: height 1.61–1.75 m.Tennis ball: 6.54–6.86 cmCredit card: 85.6 mmBasketball: 750–770 mmHuman: 1.61–1.75 mHuman1.61–1.75 mBasketball750–770 mmTennis ball6.54–6.86 cmCredit card85.6 mm
Everything is drawn to the same scale, standing on the same ground line. Silhouettes are simplified outlines scaled to the measured dimension. A faded outline shows the top of a size range.

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Dimensions

MeasurementMetricImperialNotesSource
Circumference 750–770 mm 2 ft 6 in – 2 ft 6 in FIBA tolerance for a size 7 ball (men's competitions). Range: varies [1]
Weight 580–620 g 1.28–1.37 lb FIBA tolerance for a size 7 ball. Range: varies [1]

About the basketball

A basketball is an inflated rubber or leather ball with a pebbled surface. FIBA, the world governing body, requires a size 7 ball for all men's competitions, measuring 750 to 770 mm around and weighing 580 to 620 g. Women's games use a slightly smaller size 6 ball.

  • FIBA's size 6 ball for women's competitions is 715-730 mm around and weighs 510-550 g. [1]
  • Dropped from about 1,800 mm, a FIBA ball must bounce back to between 1,035 and 1,085 mm. [1]

How many fit?

  • ≈ 2.2 × Basketball · circumference lined up end to end match the Human · height
  • ≈ 130–160 × Basketball · weight on the scales weigh as much as Human · body mass
  • ≈ 8.9 × Credit card · width lined up end to end match the Basketball · circumference

Counts divide one sourced figure by another. "End to end" uses each object's main measurement; weight and volume rows appear only when both figures are sourced.

How it compares

  • 8.9× A basketball is about 8.9 times as around as a credit card is wide. See side by side
  • 4.9× A basketball is about 4.9 times as around as a US dollar bill is long. See side by side
  • 1.1× A basketball is about as around as a soccer ball. See side by side
  • 2.6× A basketball is about 2.6 times as around as a sheet of A4 paper is tall. See side by side
  • 1/1 A basketball is about as around as a house cat is long. See side by side
  • 1/2.2 An average adult is about 2.2 times as tall as a basketball is around. See side by side

Factors compare the circumference of a basketball with each object’s own main measurement (height for a human). Where a size varies, the factor is given as a range.

Notes on these figures

  • The NBA's 2025-26 Playing Rules only require an officially approved NBA ball and give no circumference or weight, so FIBA's size 7 figures are used.
  • The rules give circumference, not diameter; any diameter shown is calculated from it.

Sources

  1. FIBA, Official Basketball Rules 2024: Basketball Equipment (Table 1, basketball circumference and weight tolerances). Accessed 25 September 2026.
  2. National Basketball Association, Official 2025-26 NBA Playing Rules (Rule No. 1, Section II Equipment). Accessed 25 September 2026.

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