Basketball backboards can be constructed of many types of material. The first step in determining what material you need to construct your backboard is to determine what type of basketball your backboard will be used for. Once you have decided, the choice of backboard material will become much simpler.
Purpose Of Backboard
Backboards used for official games have different requirements than backboards used for casual home play. Cost also becomes a factor because simple backboard material such as wood will be far cheaper than a custom fiberglass.
Transparent Backboards
Top basketball organizations are required to have transparent backboards because official games are usually either televised or have seating with views of the court that would otherwise be obscured by an opaque backboard. These backboards are usually constructed of tempered glass or fiberglass. Transparent backboards are used in the NBA, the NCAA, WNBA, and several other organizations that pattern their regulations after the NBA. High school leagues and gyms might not use transparent backboards based on their seating layout.
Opaque Backboards
Basketball courts requiring less strict regulation have the option of using nontransparent materials. Simple wood is an inexpensive choice for a nontransparent backboard. plywood can be cut, shaped, and worked with relative ease in order to fit specifications. Keep in mind that while plywood is cheap, it can be relatively flimsy if left as a single sheet. You can increase the integrity of the backboard by doubling the thickness by attaching a second sheet of plywood cut to the same parameters.
Sizing and Measurements
When creating a basketball backboard, keep in mind that precise specifications are required for the dimensions of both the backboard, the hoop, and the square. Backboards are generally shaped to be a rectangle measuring 6 feet tall by 3.5 feet wide. The shooting square is to be set above and behind the hoop, and should measure 1.5 feet high by 2 feet wide, with the line 2 inches thick. Finally, the rim is required to be 18 inches in diameter, measured from the inside edge of the rim. Official hoops measure 10 feet tall, from the bottom of the rim to the ground. Unofficial hoops can easily be tailored to the needs of the court.
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