Three-point field goal

<p>A three-point field goal (also 3-pointer, three, or triple) is a <a href="/facts/Field_goal_(basketball)/5kDfpsp5">field goal</a> in a <a href="/facts/Basketball/M5pl4Pzo">basketball</a> game made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc surrounding the basket. A successful attempt is worth three points, in contrast to the two points awarded for field goals made within the three-point line and the one point for each made <a href="/facts/Free_throw/le5v4tNS">free throw</a>.
</p><p>The distance from the basket to the three-point line varies by competition level: in the <a href="/facts/National_Basketball_Association/Vd3EUFfa">National Basketball Association</a> (NBA) the arc is 23 feet 9 inches (7.24 m) from the center of the basket; in the <a href="/facts/International_Basketball_Federation/HpcjxLNh">International Basketball Federation</a> (FIBA), the <a href="/facts/Women%27s_National_Basketball_Association/XsNIrXRF">Women's National Basketball Association</a> (WNBA), the <a href="/facts/National_Collegiate_Athletic_Association/nLkY4pm1">National Collegiate Athletic Association</a> (NCAA) (all divisions), and the <a href="/facts/National_Association_of_Intercollegiate_Athletics/oNad0pcf">National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics</a> (NAIA), the arc is 6.75 m (22 ft 1.75 in) from the center of the basket; and in the <a href="/facts/National_Federation_of_State_High_School_Associations/q1xLeKL9">National Federation of State High School Associations</a> (NFHS) the arc is 19 ft 9 in (6.02 m) from the center of the basket. Every three-point line becomes parallel to each sideline at the points where each arc is a specified distance from the sideline. In both the NBA and WNBA, this distance is 3 feet (0.91 m) from the sideline; as a result, the distance from the center of the basket gradually decreases to a minimum of 22 feet (6.7 m). FIBA specifies the arc's minimum distance from the sideline as 0.9 meters (2 ft 11 in), resulting in a minimum distance from the center of the basket of 6.6 meters (21 ft 8 in). The NCAA and NAIA arc is the same distance from the center of the basket as the FIBA arc, but is 3 feet 4 inches (1.02 m) from each sideline because the North American court is slightly wider than the FIBA court. 
In <a href="/facts/3x3_basketball/3o14Etkt">3x3</a>, a FIBA-sanctioned variant of the half-court 3-on-3 game, the same line exists, but shots from behind it are only worth 2 points with all other shots worth 1 point.
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Three-point field goal open-in-new

Three-point field goal