Fair Court Rim Testing
Making Sports Safer
While displays of force that threaten to bend the rim of a basketball hoop towards the floor are impressive, it doesn’t actually take much to compromise basketball hoop rims. Even normal use, over time, can cause the rim height to deviate between baskets on a single court, which can lead to inconsistent rebound performance and an unfair advantage for one team over another.
Concern from coaches and players about the consistency of equipment performance led one basketball equipment manufacturer to develop a tool that measures the height of rims and their rebound elasticity. The Fair-Court rim testing system uncovers loose or misaligned rims and rebound performance inconsistencies.
As a result of testing done by the manufacturer of the Fair Court system that showed the majority of courts had drastic differences in rim height and rebound performance, the 2004-05 season saw mandated rim testing in all Division I competition venues. Under parameters endorsed by both the NCAA and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), which governs Olympic competition, “the rebound elasticity of any basket ring support system shall be within a 35 percent to 50 percent energy-absorption range of total impact energy, and within a 5 percent differential between baskets on the same court.”
Eliminating rim inconsistencies and upholding the integrity of the game is straightforward with the Fair Court system:
- Calibrate the system on a solid floor before each use, a simple and quick process.
- Secure the unit to the rim from the floor without ladders.
- Once the specially designed hook is affixed to the rim, drop the weight and a sensor will read the velocity of the rebound off the compression spring within the housing of the unit.
- A readout of between .350 and .500 means that the equipment meets the NCAA recommendations and qualifies as competition-ready equipment.
- Repeat the test on opposite end of court to ensure that both rims are within a 5% range.
Feel free to CONTACT US with your questions. As always, Borgman Athletics can provide detailed inspections, general repairs, preventative safety measures and visual safety inspections as parts of our service.
