How to Install a Basketball Backboard to Specifications

Basketball incorporated the backboard accidentally. As more and more people began watching games, spectators would stand in galleries or balconies to which the baskets the players were using were attached. Eager to see their teams win, fans would often reach over and guide the ball during game play. In 1895, a rule was instituted stating that there should be a backstop made of screen or other solid materials and that the size should be 6 feet by 4 feet, specifications that remain in place today. Installing a backboard to official specifications requires following stringent regulations established by basketball rules committees.

Things You'll Need

  • Backboard
  • 850 pounds dry concrete mix
  • Level
  • Shovel
  • Tape measure
  • Appropriate Screw Driver
  • Step ladder
  • Wrench
  • Marker
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Instructions

  1. How to Install a Basketball Backboard to Specifications

    • 1

      Make sure you understand the specifications as established in the official rule books. A standard rectangular backboard is 42 inches high and 6 feet wide. The back of the rim should be 6 inches from the backboard and attached by a flat metal piece. The backboard should protrude 4 feet from the baseline and should be 15 feet from the free throw line. Place the backboard so that the rim is exactly 10 feet off of the ground.

    • 2

      Determine where you want to hang your backboard. Remember that the standard basketball hoop is 10 feet off the ground and that the ideal playing surface is flat, smooth and hard.

    • 3

      Dig a hole to place the pole. Digging a 2-foot by 2-foot by 2-foot hole will ensure that your basketball hoop does not move or fall down over time. Once you've dug a hole, mark a line on your basketball pole 18 inches from the bottom. Fill the hole completely with cement, following the instructions on the cement bag.

    • 4

      While the cement is still wet, insert the pole to the 18-inch mark you made in the previous step. Make sure the pole is straight, using a level. Let the concrete settle for at least 48 hours.

    • 5

      Attach the backboard. With the help of another person, climb the ladder and screw the backboard into the appropriate holes on the basketball pole. Make sure that the screws are tight enough so that the backboard does not fall off the pole.