Painting lines on a basketball court

Basketball courts outside are exposed to a lot of use. Painting the court with new paint can be uplifting and inspiring while painting logos or mascots in center court promotes community identification. Basketball courts are half Olympic sized, and full size. Basketball court dimensions vary from 32 feet wide for a half-court to full-sized basketball court measures 50 x 94 feet. Basketball courts can either be indoor or outdoor depending on the facility and location of play.

Materials & Tools

What size paint roller is needed to paint lines on a basketball court?

A 9 inch, 4 inch and 1 ½ inch rollers, pad and tray.

Assorted art brushers

Art brushes come in handy if you plan on adding a logo or wordmark to your basketball court design.

Roller extensions

You may need a roller extension for the end lines.

Additional Items

Duct tape

1 ½” painter’s tape

Paint cups

Latex gloves

Paint can opener

Stirring sticks

Caution tape

Non-skid additive (optional)

Tools needed

Pressure washer/hose

Push broom

Measuring tape

Pencil/chalk

When dealing with outdoor courts, there are normally two surfaces that are worked with. They are the asphalt basketball court and the concrete basketball court. Both surfaces require specific processes when preparing them and actually resurfacing and painting them so that they are once again safe and usable.

Type of paint to use on a basketball court

Concrete or asphalt primer

Porch and floor paint

Asphalt vs Concrete Painting

Asphalt Basketball Court Painting

After an existing asphalt pad is repaired and sealed, there must be a waiting period before it can be painted. If a new asphalt pad had to be installed, it takes roughly two to four weeks for the mixture to cure. You’re just waiting for the oil to evaporate from the surface of the asphalt after it has fully hardened. If a sports

The pores in the asphalt will be smoothed out with a rubber squeegee after applying an acrylic resurfacing paint by hand. In many situations, this is what gives the court its smooth look like a tennis court. If the court is made of traditional asphalt, two applications of resurfacing paint are required to provide it a smoother feel

Color may be added after the resurfacing coat has been applied. Typically, two applications are sufficient. After this layer is cured, professional taping equipment can be used to draw the lines.

Concrete Basketball Court Painting

A concrete pad may already exist, or a new one must be laid. If a fresh one is required, it takes two to four weeks for the concrete to cure. When a fresh one is built, the use of a brush finish is essential. This is critical because the court’s surface should have texture to aid in the adhesion of the paint

Nonetheless, cleaning the surface is the first step before concrete basketball court painting. An adhesion promoter may also be included to assist with the initial coat of paint’s adhesion. By hand, an acrylic resurfacing paint is applied in one to two applications with a rubber squeegee. Because concrete isn’t as porous as asphalt, four coats of paint are

The color may be applied next. The professional tapping equipment can then be used to draw the lines after this step is completed.

Preparation Instructions

1. Sort all materials into piles by like items to ensure you have materials needed to complete the project.
2. Depending on the size of your basketball surface you may need to leave parts of the court off, make a half-court surface, or customize it. If you have enough room to work with, the diagram shown will tell you the official court size.
3. Before priming, wash the entire area with a pressure washer. If you do not have access to a pressure washer, use a hose and a high-powered nozzle and sweep the area with a broom afterwards. Let the surface dry completely.
4. Prime the entire area using a clear concrete primer and rollers with extension (optional, though recommended)

Additional notes about working with Concrete Primer:

• Wear appropriate eye, skin and apparel protection when applying primer.
• Completely strip all coatings prior to use.
• Do not over apply or allow the product to puddle. Remove any puddles by spreading product to drier areas or by wiping up excess with a clean cloth.
• On vertical surfaces apply using an airless sprayer or brush.
• Initial foaming may be observed but will disappear upon drying.
• For touch-ups where surface coatings have failed, completely remove any loose or peeling paint by scraping, wire brushing or grinding.
• New concrete must cure for a minimum of 30 days prior to priming.
• Primer dries to the touch in 2 to 4 hours at 77°F and 50% humidity.
• Additional drying time is needed in cooler temperatures and higher humidity.

Basketball Court Dimensions

What are the half court dimensions for a basketball court?

The Basketball court dimensions for half court are 32 feet wide by 50 feet long. The Basketball court dimensions for full court are 52.13 feet wide by 94.37 feet long.

Center Court

1. If you are interested in painting a center court logo/mascot, make a stencil out of poster board or similar material. Trace the design onto the poster board and cut certain sections out for easiest use.
2. Another method for painting a logo/mascot is to use a grid system. With the image set behind or sketched onto a grid of squares on paper, you can create that same grid on the ground, using a tape measure and string line (spacing the squares evenly to mimic the grid on the paper). Then you can simply use the squares as a guide for sketching out the image, and then paint it after it has been sketched.

How can you scale basketball court dimensions to match your existing court side?

  Start by measuring the width of your playing surface. If it’s narrower than 32 feet,  you can still use the 32-foot width template, but you’ll have to adjust the length. To do this, measure the distance between the end lines of your playing surface and subtract 16 feet. This is the new length of your half court.

Now that you’ve determined the dimensions of your scaled-down court, it’s time to begin painting. Before you begin, make sure the playing surface is clean and dry.

Court Resurfacing

Before any painting, it’s often required to resurface the court. Old courts are likely to have fissures and chips in them. The surface may also be crumbling in certain places, posing a hazard. Repairs or the complete surface replacement are sometimes required; however, these tasks are not always synonymous. Whatever the need, it can be done. Nonetheless, you can count on basketball court resurfacing taking place before the surface is ever replaced. This is a good way to make the surface pay for itself again and again throughout the years – you get the most life out of it as possible.

Painting your basketball court.

1. Mix the non-skid additive into your paint.
2. If painting a logo or mascot, use the stencil created during preparation steps, then paint with small brushes. Fill in large areas then create outlines when the paint is dry.
3. If needed, lay out the stencil for the Basketball Court Lines and secure with tape as necessary (instructions should accompany the stencil). Paint the lines and then fill in the areas using rollers and brushes.
4. Put up the caution tape so that no one steps on the fresh paint, and touch up the area with a small brush as needed.