HOW MUCH DOES A BASKETBALL WEIGHT?
HOW MUCH DOES A BASKETBALL WEIGHT?
2022-12-02
When looking at basketballs the two most important bits of information are sizing and weight. The most important thing someone can be doing is looking at the size to make sure they are using the proper one.
HOW MUCH DOES A BASKETBALL WEIGHT?
But the next most important thing to understand is if the ball is the correct weight. And in reading this we hope to help you understand what the weight of every ball should be.
Men´s Basketball’s Weight
Men’s basketballs, which are a size 7 or 29.5 (which just means it’s 29.5 inches in circumference) should all be the same weight. It doesn’t matter if it’s being used in the NBA or in High school basketball or everything in between.
The weight for the NBA basketball is not intentionally quoted in their rule book, but the Spalding that they use does have a number for their recommended weight.
In the NCAA, they have it stated in the rule book the weight of a properly inflated ball.
And from those two sources, you can conclude that the weight of a men’s basketball should be between 20 ounces and 22 ounces. Or what’s equally as important with a PSI of 7.5-8.5 (pressure of 7.5 to 8.5).
Weight and Size of Women’s basketballs
There is going to be a slight difference when we look at the basketball size and basketball weight of a women’s basketball.
From High school all the way to the WNBA, all women use the same ball with the same parameters.
The ball is a size 6 (or a size 28.5) and a properly inflated ball should have the same air pressure as the men’s balls. But because it is smaller, it only makes sense for it to also weigh less.
Your properly inflated Women´s basketball weighs in anywhere from 18 ounces to 20 ounces.
This is clearly stated in the WNBA rule book and when you search for other balls online.
So no matter what basketball leagues you are in, these are universal for women’s basketball.
Youth Basketball
Depending on your state and maybe even region, the size of the basketball can vary depending on your age group.
For a majority of places though, boys will use a 28.5(size 6) until they are in 5th grade or 6th grade. This ball’s weight will be conducive with what we stated earlier in the women’s basketball section.
And once the boys get older than that, they will use a men’s basketball (size 7/29.5) with the same weight of an NBA ball.
Mini Basketballs
When your kid is really young, younger than organized basketball is typically played, they will sell different size balls that will require different weights. Here’s a short list of the sizes and their corresponding weight.
- Size 5 = 17 ounces
- Size 4= 14 ounces
- Size 3= 10 ounces
- Size 1= 8 ounces
