The NBA Finals may have just recently come to a close, but the spotlight on player and spectator safety with regards to basketball is something that never truly goes away. As one of the fastest-paced indoor sports and one of the most popular here in North America, safety is always of chief concern for coaches, planners, facility managers and operators alike.
While there are a number of safety precautions and products that already likely exist inside your gymnasium such as strategically placed wall padding, we wanted to touch on some of the basketball-specific items than can go above and beyond protecting both players and spectators.
With the action centred on the court, as operators we must not forget how much is above the floor level. With a variety of moving parts, adding additional layers of safety overhead is something we all should think about.
Winches
Using an electric winch is a great first step in securing any and all overhead basketball systems and offers operators an easy way to move them in and out of play when necessary. When shopping for a winch, always ensure the system is firstly strong enough to pull and support the structure, and secondly that it features either a self-locking gear ratio or some sort of brake mechanism to add another layer of safety in the event of mechanical failure.
Backboard Padding
Governing bodies are somewhat quiet on this particular issue for whatever reason, but the truth is, it is required for all levels of play. This thin level of padding is placed along the bottom of glass backboards and protects players from potential head injuries as they approach aggressive layups or dunks.
Safety Straps
No other accessory is as synonymous with basketball safety than our Aut-O-Loc basketball safety straps. Operating just like the seatbelt in your car, these mechanisms immediately lock into place should the systems support structure fail for any reason. Think of them like an iron-clad insurance policy for basketball safety.