Backboard (basketball)
Piece of basketball equipment
A backboard is a piece of basketball equipment. It is a raised vertical board with an attached basket consisting of a net suspended from a hoop. It is made of a flat, rigid piece of, often Plexiglas or tempered glass which also has the properties of safety glass when accidentally shattered. It is usually rectangular as used in NBA, NCAA and international basketball. In recreational environments, a backboard may be oval or a fan-shape, particularly in non-professional games.
The top of the hoop is 10 feet (3.05 m) above the ground. Regulation backboards are 6 feet (1.83 m) wide by 3.5 feet (1.07 m) tall. All basketball rims (hoops) are 18 inches (46 cm) in diameter. The inner rectangle on the backboard is 24 inches (61 cm) wide by 18 inches (46 cm) tall, and helps a shooter determine the proper aim and banking for either a layup or distance shot.[1][2]
In addition to those markings and those of its manufacturer, leagues and governing bodies often place other decals on the edge of the backboard on the glass, including the logo of the league or organization, and a national flag. On top of the backboard, a league or team's web address or sponsor logo is affixed to take advantage of the high television camera angle utilized for instant replay of slam dunks and other shots above the rim.
In professional and most higher college settings, the backboard is part of a portable wheeled stanchion that can be moved out of the way and stored to allow the venue to host multiple other sports and events, though in most high schools and examples such as Stanford University's Maples Pavilion and Cameron Indoor Stadium at Duke University, backboards are mounted as part of a suspended system using the venue's ceiling joists to support the goal and allow them to be put out of the way in the ceiling support system via a system of pulleys when not in use, along with the more common wall-mounted system. Practice or gym class-utilized sideline backboards are generally of the permanently wall-mounted variety, and usually have opaque fiberglass or thick metal boards instead, along with most outdoor municipal park boards.
In intervening years, the portable stanchion containing the backboard has also taken on cabling and sensors within its core, along with the structure of a game clock and shot clock above it, which makes the setup of one as involved as an arena's basketball floor, to the point of requiring a replacement backboard being on standby if it and/or the rim is ever taken out of level or broken.[3]
A glass backboard was used by the Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team at the Men's Gymnasium at Indiana University.[4]
Reasons to Have a Tempered Glass Basketball Backboard on Your Outdoor Court
If you’re not too familiar with basketball backboards, you should know there are generally two types to choose from for your basketball court. There are tempered glass backboards and acrylic backboards. Which type should you get?
Ideally, you want a backboard that’ll last a long time (durable), live up to expectations (quality), and look nice (aesthetics).
Acrylic backboards are clear plastic. They resemble glass. Over time, they tend to develop a haze and/or discolor since the sun and weather take their toll. It’s not unusual for acrylic backboards to “yellow” over time. Mold might start forming on this type of backboard– yuck! Because acrylic is softer than glass, it can scratch and scuff easily. The more use the backboard gets, the nastier it’s going to look.
The better choice for your basketball court backboards is tempered glass– the kind you’ll find at local school gyms as well as the places where professionals play. Why is tempered glass “top notch?” It offers greater rebound capability and less vibration than acrylic. When a player goes for the rebound, he or she will consistently know where that rebound will go each time if the backboard is tempered glass. That’s not always true with acrylic backboards.
For those who are worried the glass could shatter, realize this: it’s highly unlikely it ever will. If it did, there’s a coating on the glass that holds it together if it shatters (the same thing is applied to car windshields)– a good safety measure.
Tempered glass is going to look good and function well for a long time. Unlike acrylic, it won’t discolor, haze or look scratched/scuffed up. It’s a clean, sharp look.
