Safety requirements for your new outdoor basketball hoop
Choosing to purchase an outdoor basketball hoop is a great idea because it will provide a safe environment for your children to play. No longer do the kids have to go to the local park since they can simply play in the comfort of their own backyard or driveway basketball court. With so many outdoor basketball hoops on the market today how do you know that you’re getting the safest in ground basketball system for you and your family? There are a few crucial elements to inspect before making a buying decision.
Proper padding installed on your basketball hoop is essential to insure the safety of all players both young and not so young. Starting from the ground up, every hoop needs a base or gusset pad to protect players from running into the bottom of the pole. Secondly, a dense pole pad that is at a minimum two inches in thickness should be installed on the main pole. The pole pad should also be at least six feet tall to help prevent head injuries when running into the pole. Most of the contact associated with outdoor basketball hoops and players occurs on the main pole. Proper backboard padding should also be installed to protect players vertically when jumping close to the glass.
Adjustable basketball hoops now have the ability to lower down as low as 5’. This puts the backboard lower than ever before and thus a new set of safety concerns to go along with it. Some basketball hoop manufacturers simply use an adhesive to apply the glass backboard to the frame leaving the corners of the glass and steel frame exposed on the outside perimeter. Other box store brands take it a small step further and partially enclose the frame with aluminum. To insure the safest playing experience you will want to purchase an in ground basketball system that fully encloses the outside perimeter with a thick aluminum profile.
If you have ever experienced the wrath of springs while jumping on a trampoline you know that they can be very dangerous. Several adjustable basketball hoops in today’s market have exposed springs that are used to adjust the height of the outdoor basketball hoop. With children lowering the rim height as low as possible to “Slam like a pro” these adjustment mechanisms can create a safety concern. You will want to make sure that the adjustment features of your new in ground basketball system are fully enclosed whether on the backside of the main pole or even inside the main pole.
On a regulation basketball court the distance from the base line to the backboard is 4’. This distance was calculated to give players ample space under the basketball hoop while playing. This brings us to our next item on the safety checklist: overhang. The definition of overhang is the distance from the front of the main pole to the front of the backboard. Most box store brands will offer small overhangs as a cost saving tactic. When the backboard is too close to the main pole it doesn’t allow for enough safe space under the board. I’ve seen the cheaper brands use an overhang as short as 18”. The premium brands of outdoor basketball hoops now boast a regulation 4’ and a couple of brands even extend up to 5’ overhang to insure the main pole is off the court and out of your way.
Resource Mega Slam
19 Famechon Crescent
Modbury North, SA 5092
0466 578 943
