How to: Homemade Backboard

Playing basketball at home is a fun and entertaining way to enjoy the sport in your own driveway or backyard. Manufactured basketball backboards are widely available for purchase in stores or online. But if you want to craft your own economically, you can make a backboard out of a few easy-to-find items available at hardware stores.

Things You'll Need

  • Plywood -- one 4-by-8-foot sheet
  • Sandpaper
  • Tape measure
  • Electrical tape -- 2 inches wide
  • White or black paint
  • Red paint
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Instructions

    • 1

      Cut the plywood so that it measures 6 feet by 3.5 feet, to meet the National Basketball Association's dimension requirements for a backboard. Sand down the rough edges of the plywood, using sandpaper.

    • 2

      Use the electrical tape to create the bank shot rectangle on the front of the backboard. The rectangle must be located 24 inches from the left and right sides, 21 inches from the top and 3 inches from the bottom. Measure these distances for the bank shot rectangle's edges, and mark the plywood at the proper spots. Apply the electrical tape in straight lines, according to the markings. The rectangle itself should measure 24 inches wide by 18 inches high.

    • 3

      Paint the backboard using either black or white paint. Paint right over the tape as this will leave behind a clean rectangle once the tape is removed. Allow the paint to completely dry for one to two hours, depending on the thickness of the paint layer. Apply a second coat of paint to ensure full coverage.

    • 4

      Remove the electrical tape from the backboard. Use red paint to fill in the 2-inch thick rectangle border at the bottom center of the backboard. Allow the paint to dry.

    • 5

      Coat the entire front of the backboard with a clear coating of paint sealer, to help protect it from the elements. Attach the backboard to a wall or bracket by using wood screws or nails. Then attach a basket kit to the front, following the manufacturer's instructions.