The basketball rim--also known as the hoop--is where all the action happens. Whether you're a coach trying to teach your players about the rule of the game or a sports administrator trying to bone up on your knowledge of standard basketball equipment, learning about hoops and rims can help you better understand the game of basketball.
History
When basketball was first invented by Dr. James Naismith in the late 19th century, the hoop was drastically different than the ones used today. Naismith used peach baskets elevated off the floor for the first hoops, according to the Kansas Heritage Group. After each basket, play would be stopped and workers would use a pole or stick to poke the ball out of the basket, after which play would resume again. After a while, Naismith converted the goals into hoops more like the ones we know today, where the ball could pass freely through it. When dunking became popular toward the later part of the 20th century, players often broke rims and backboards. This led to the invention of the breakaway rim by Arthur Ehrat. It was granted a patent in 1982, and now the breakaway rim is in gyms all across the country for high school, college and professional games in order to prevent broken rims and backboards.
Significance
The rim is central to the basketball game, as it is the goal for each team. Points in basketball are scored by shooting the ball so that it passes through the rim from above. A ball that enters the rim from below and passes through does not count as a goal.
Regulations
A regulation basketball rim stands 10 feet off the floor, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations, the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the National Basketball Association. The size of the hoop is also standard across all leagues, at 18 inches in diameter. This allows the ball to pass through with 4.5 inches clearance on each side. The basketball hoop is also attached to a backboard, which must be 6 feet wide by 3.5 feet tall. Directly above the rim, the outline of a rectangle is painted to assist players in shooting the ball off the backboard into the hoop. By regulation, the rectangle is 24 inches wide by 18 inches tall.
Features
Most rims come equipped with special metal loops on the bottom of the rim in order to attach a nylon or chain net. The purpose of the net is to check the ball as it passes through.
Rules
There are several rules that govern basketball play around the rim. Most notably, basket interference dictates what players can and cannot do while the ball is in contact with or in the air above the rim. In high school basketball, for instance, it is a violation for either team to touch the ball while it is resting on the rim or in the space directly above the outline of the rim. It is also a basket interference violation to pull down on the rim while the ball is above it so that it makes contact with the ball as it returns to its normal position. A basket interference violation results in a turnover if it is committed by the offense and a counted basket if done by the defense. Hanging on the rim for an extended period of time, other than to prevent injury, is considered a technical foul.
References
- "Basketball Rules Book," National Federation of State High School Associations, 2009
- "Sports Illustrated": Breaking Away
- Kansas Heritage: Basketball History
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