Basketball Foul Lane

The foul lane in basketball is the rectangular area on the court extending from the foul line to the baseline. It is also known as the lane, paint, or key for short.

The foul lane is subject to some of the most important aspects of a game. Points in the paint is a common statistic that shows how dominant a team was in the foul lane, where it takes great skill to score among bigger, stronger players. It is often said that whichever team controls the paint controls the game.

The foul lanes include the restricted arcs, foul line, and blocks. The restricted arc (or area) is the semicircle underneath the basket where charges cannot be taken. This gives the offense an advantage for getting the ball so close to the hoop. The foul line is where free throws are attempted and helps form the elbow. The blocks are used to align players for free throws, but are more commonly used as positioning marks for big men in the low post.

The “foul lanes” may also refer to the marked spots along each side of the key, where players line up to rebound free throws. These are significant because players need to be positioned correctly before free throws occur. This gives each team their appropriate chance to get the rebound.