The game of basketball was invented by Dr. James A. Naismith as a way to keep student-athletes busy during the winter months in snowy Springfield, Massachusetts. He used peach baskets as a target for players to shoot the basketball. The game has changed dramatically over the ensuing decades, and the game uses rims and nets as the target for scoring.
Rim Height
The basketball rim is required to be 10 feet off the floor. That is the case in professional basketball in the U.S., Europe, Asia and South America as well as college and high school basketball.
Rim size
The rim is 18 inches in diameter. The rim is made of metal that is no more than 5/8 of an inch in diameter. The rim is painted orange and is placed on a backboard with steel bolts.
Netting
Recreational basketball courts often use a chain net because of its durability. However, high school, college and professional basketball requires a nylon net. The net has between 30 and 120 threads and must be between 15 and 18 inches in length. The net is strung through notches on the rim. When the ball goes through the rim and the net, it should hesitate for a second before it finishes its journey through the net.
Backboard
The backboard that the rim is attached to is 6 feet long by 3½ feet wide. This allows the rim to sit in the lower middle portion of the board, while allowing plenty of board. A regulation backboard is made of a clear plexiglass. Backboards are hung with the top edge having a height of 13.5 feet from the ground.
Theories/Speculation
As the dunk has become one of the most exciting plays in basketball, there have been critics of the shot who have wanted to see the rim height raised so this shot could be eliminated. There has been speculation that the dimensions of the rim height would be raised to 11 or 12 feet. This would reduce scoring and make all shots more difficult.
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