Different Basketball Sizes

If you are a basketball coach or a parent who wants to teach your child the rules of the court, you need to select the appropriate basketball size for the player. There are a number of different basketball sizes for adults and children as well as for men and women. Measure your player's dimensions in order to determine the most appropriately-sized basketball.

Surveying the player

The ideal basketball size is different for an adult than for a child and different for a man than for a woman. Make notes on the dimensions of your player and write down everything you know about him or her, including height, weight, age, sex and palm size. The size of your player's palm can often indicate the ideal size of basketball he or she can handle or play with comfortably.

Visit a sporting goods store

Visit a sporting goods store with the player and try out different basketball sizes. An official regulation-size basketball for men is a 20- to 22-ounce ball with a circumference of 29.5 to 30 inches. An official regulation-size basketball for women is an 18- to 20-ounce ball with a circumference of 28.5 to 29 inches. The NCAA and most high school and community games use these ball sizes. In addition, they are appropriate for girls 8 to 12 years old and boys 12 years and older.

Teaching younger children

If your player is a girl under eight or a boy under 12, then you need to purchase a smaller basketball. For example, youth ages four to eight years old should have the ability to handle a ball with a circumference of 25.5 to 27 inches.

The right basketball size is crucial to help your player get used to the game play. You can find the right size by determining your player's physical measurements and choosing a ball he or she can hold or dribble easily.