Regulation Basketball Hoop Facts

Get the scoop on what a regulation basketball hoop really is.

A regulation basketball hoop that is used for NBA and NCAA tourneys is quite different to the hoops used at home. Its size and dimensions are decided by a tournament committee that ensures that the playing conditions are uniform for all the teams. Any change in the dimensions, design or color of the regulation hoop is communicated to participating teams well in advance so that they face no problem on match days.

The height of the regulation hoop used by NBA is ten feet. It uses a backboard made of a transparent material. Behind the backboard is a red light, which is used to indicate the end of a playing period. The red light is so positioned that it is visible to the players, coaches and referees. Very rarely, home hoops use lights.

The regulation glass backboards are 72 inches across, 42 inches high, and 1/2-inch thick. These dimensions are very different to home backboards which generally fall in the 40-inch to 60-inch range with a thickness that varies from 5/16-inch to 1/2-inch thick

Great care is taken to select the backboard. The surface is smooth and firm, and the bounce even. Uneven surfaces or surfaces that produce uneven bounce can break the rhythm of the players, and disturb the entire game.

Similar attention is paid to the selection and mounting of the basket. The best rims are those that have an 18-inch diameter, and are at least 5/8-inch thick. Steel clips are used to clamp the net to the rim, which is painted orange.

The regulation pole too is thicker to the poles used at home. This is because the pole has to support a heavier and a larger backboard. That is why game regulators prescribe a six-inch pole to support the regulation 72-inch by 42-inch backboard with a four-foot overhang.

These hoops are very sturdy, and can take a lot of pounding. They can easily survive frequent airborne assaults by players who try to dunk from close to the backboard, or swing from the basket.

ESPN NBA Basketball video game
The ESPN NBA Basketball video game is an improvement on NBA 2K series of basketball games. This game not only has great graphics but also has the ESPN class written all over it. There is also a greater infusion of ESPN brand in the game. The opening menu shows the ESPN studio and the text uses the same fonts that are used on ESPN telecasts. Many of the signature tunes too are the same that you hear on ESPN basketball shows. The players can hear the familiar voice of broadcasters Bill Fitzgerald and Tom Tolbert. Clearly, ESPN looks upon the game as a brand building exercise too.

Fantasy Basketball Leagues
There is nothing that can be more exciting than being a member of a fantasy basketball league. It allows you to be the manager and owner of your own team. You can draft players, trade players or bench players, very much like professional managers and owners do in real life. You even have a commissioner who makes sure that the league is played according to rules, and no one who is part of the league cheats.