Basketball is one of the most popular amateur sports played by Poles. You can begin your adventure with it at an early age, but it’s always good to choose the right size of ball for your age (and gender). Here is our guide to the most popular sizes.
Professional basketball players – both in the NBA and in the Polish Basketball League – play with classic, largest ball size 7. However, they are very tall men with large arm reach and above-average hand diameter. Amateur basketball players can safely choose smaller sizes. And there are five of them in total – from 3 to 7 precisely.
This is the smallest of the officially used balls. Ideal for children under 8 years old. It may be used already by several years old children.
The ball is clearly bigger and heavier than the “three”. Good for children starting their adventure with basketball on their own or with their parents. Similar to the balls used in professional games.
The first size used by professionals. These balls are used by boys and girls up to about 11 years of age in basketball sections and schools. If your child seriously thinks about playing basketball, it is worth it to start from training with this ball.
Ideal for women. Professional female basketball players play with the balls in size 6. They are not much smaller than the “sevens”. Boys after the age of 11 are also recommended to switch to the “sixes”, although in practice, very often coaches bypass this step and immediately give boys the largest size.
The target size used in competitions. Suitable for boys over 15 years old. Amateur players can of course use smaller balls for their needs, but for adult men, the most comfortable size is 7.
The size of the ball is always printed on its surface. Of course, the ball must be inflated properly so that it is pleasant to play. According to the guidelines of FIBA (International Basketball Federation), the ball should be inflated so that it bounces from a height of 180 cm to a height of 120-140 cm.
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