In basketball, a rim is a rim is a rim – right?

No, big guy – that’s not right – in fact it is a serious wrong.

Let’s get technical here for a minute and talk some physics.

Let me set the stage for you –

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar once said that if his team out rebounded the other team, his team would come out with a win. We’re talking rebounding here and rims are an integral part of that.

Rims can be hard or soft. No, not the rims themselves; it has to do with how tightly the rim is attached to the backboard.

If it’s tightly connected, there’s no give and that makes it stiff – or hard. And hard rims are more difficult to score with – and make the ball bounce faster and farther away from the basketball hoop.

Soft rims are more generous – they have give and are “looser.” The flexibility gives the player greater opportunity to make shots. And the rebounds won’t bounce as fast and furious – far away from the hoop.

Know how to play with either hard or soft rims

Of course, every facility and basketball goal will be different. But learning to recognize the differences and knowing how to adjust will make the difference in how well you play the game – and how much winning you do – especially if you agree with Kareem that winning the rebounding game wins the game – period.

Scouting out the facility of your next game can make a difference. As you watch the play, you’ll figure out whether the rim is soft or hard based on what you see the ball do – and how the home team plays the rebounds. That will tell you how you have to go into that game – ready.

Inflexible, hard rims can be dangerous

Rims that are affixed directly to the backboard can be very hard – and dangerous – as evidenced by the shattering of backboards – which is a topic for another day.

For safety, and for the best response in play, Goalrilla Basketball Goals have rims that flex and take unwanted pressure off the basketball goal system.  They come in medium and heavy duty styles, but neither is attached right to the basketball backboard – which eliminates stress to the backboard.

You can check out Goalrilla Basketball Goal systems at the Basketball Goal Store and compare sizes and features for an in-ground basketball court for your home.

-Pat of the Basketball Goal Store Blog Team