In these times of COVID-19, waiting for March to have the March madness basketball experience is not at all a good idea. The coronavirus is mutating. The hopes for a miracle cure that we all can access and thereby restore social interactions to normalcy seems to be a far-flung idea. But it should be emphasized that nothing needs to stand between you and your love of basketball plays. All you need is to set up a few pieces of essential equipment correctly, and then you can enjoy the great fun of basketball right in your backyard. It is the kind of home-court advantage that all basketball fans would relish, especially amidst the social isolation of COVID-19.
Don’t mistakenly think that you absolutely must have enough free space as per basketball regulations for full-sized or half courts. That is not true at all. You can turn even your driveway into a basketball court. All you need for such an arrangement is a free-standing hoop or install one above your garage. A large number of people do have enough free space to set up a half-court. In such cases, try to add a surface to the area or stencil it out. This guide regarding the equipment and process you need to follow for such a setup.
First, let’s talk about the necessary equipment, which is as follows:
- Two basketball pole hoops for either end of the court
- Tile surfacing or court stencil kit or masking tape accompanied with spray paint
- Four stakes
- Tape measure
- Twine
- Shovel and soil compression solution or gear
- Concrete (create it yourself or get it from construction firms)
That’s about it. Now you need to observe the following steps to enjoy the fun of adequately playing basketball in your backyard:
- Ascertain The Court Size That Is Possible
While as per NCAA and NBA regulations, basketball courts need to be 94×50 feet, most basketball courts, as found in high schools, are 84 feet long only. For a half-court basketball area, you need only half of the stated free space. As experts from www.goalrilla.com point out, you can make your job relatively easy by flattening the court surface. Also, please keep in mind windows when selecting the place for the basketball goal space.
- Buy Hoops
While having a dedicated basketball court, it helps to have permanent hoops cemented into the ground. While doing this, remember that you can still pick hoops with adjustable heights, and there are other types of hoops too. If you are planning to create a full-sized court, then keep in mind that you need to buy two hoops and not one.
- Mark Out The Extremities Of The Court
Next, get hold of four stakes and place them on court dimensions as markings. You can use a surveying level if one is available or use a tape measure to achieve this. It would help if you tied some rope around the stakes, which will give you a better idea of the size. The last thing to ensure in this step is that you keep available room for out-of-bounds space, thereby letting players know they are out of the court area.
- Make Sure The Field Is Level
When it comes to basketball courts, you need to level the playing field in a most literal sense. First, make sure there isn’t anything else in the marked area but dirt, and then proceed to level it. This might need you to move the same from high to lower levels till everything is smooth and you can pack everything down.
- Lay A Concrete Foundation
Before you install a concrete foundation, make sure the weather is dry as you will require thirty-six hours for it to solidify. This is when you should install pole hoops and place them one to two feet into the ground, which the concrete will help make stable. The height of the top of the rim from the floor, as per regulations, is ten feet.
- Paint The Necessary Lines
Painting court lines becomes easy with a stenciling kit. If you didn’t purchase one, get hold of spray paint, masking tape, and tape measure and paint:
- The out-of-bounds line
- The center lines
- The free throw lines
- The free throw lane
Go ahead and experiment with colors and choose your favorite team’s color combo or one unique to you.
- If You Can Surface The Playable Area
Surfacing the court area not only looks fabulous but also saves your knees from quite a bit of damage. There are a variety of surfaces for your basketball court. You can choose to install any of the following types of cover:
- Tile surfaces which might optionally be pre-painted
- Custom floors
- Rubber flooring and
- Asphalt
- Accessories
You can customize your backyard basketball court’s look and feel with a couple of suitable accessories. Feel free to color your court or make it sport your logo, or use containment fences. One piece of advice, it helps to have a vision from the start regarding the last. They might require you to install them while pouring concrete.
There you have it, your basketball court in your backyard. So, it is time to tie up your shoes and get ready for the game ahead. Hand the nets, get hold of a basketball ball, and get creative and determine your home team’s name. Have an excellent match!
