How basketball courts are made

What are NBA Basketball Courts made of? – Basketball Noise

Buzzing about the NBA re-start in 2020, I was on League Pass watching one of the scrimmage warm up games in Disney World, Florida. I noticed that every time play changed ends the sound of 10 giant humans sprinting up the court was very noticeable. It got me thinking, what are NBA courts made of?

What are NBA Basketball courts made of? NBA courts are made from acer saccharum, better known as ‘hard maple’. This is sourced from forests in the upper Midwest of North America. The only NBA team that do not play on a hard maple floor are the Boston Celtics, who traditionally use Red Oak for their distinctive floor. The maple is the traditional thickness of around 2cm or just over ¾ of an inch. This is how Maple floors have been sized since the 1800’s. NBA floor specifications require a 120 feet x 60 feet (36.6 x 18.3 meters) wood surface with a 94 feet x 50 feet (28.7 x 15.2 meters) painted basketball court. This is typically produced in smaller interlocking sections that can be expertly put together to ensure a perfect finish.

Is that it? Just some wood? Well yes, to some extent. However, there’s a lot more that goes into creating the most iconic playing surfaces in sports history. Read on to find out about who supplies the material, what characteristics the NBA looks for in its floors, how they affect player performance and how often they need to be maintained. Let’s start with that Disney Bubble…

What is the NBA Bubble floor made of?

The ‘NBA Bubble’ is housed within the Disney World ESPN World Wide Sports Complex in Florida. Before the NBA moved in to finish off the regular season and host the 2020 NBA Playoffs it already contained 7 hardwood courts the NBA had earmarked for practice. It was calculated that they needed to an additional 7 practice courts, two half courts, and three custom sized game floors to host the broadcasted games, adjusted for thew social distancing measures and absence of spectators.

Leaning on its shared resources the (relatively) nearby Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic each provided their two floors, in addition the Indiana Pacers donated their main floor to be used as practice courts while the field house undergoes a closed season refit.

This left the NBA short by 2 practice courts, two half-courts, and the all-important 3 custom game courts. These were produced by one of the NBA’s suppliers, Horner and are made of the same Hard Maple specifications as most NBA teams use in their arenas.

What are the costs and time scales to make an NBA court?

Including shipping it costs about $120,000 to supply an NBA standard court. Taking about 3 weeks in total to produce. The NBA’s main suppliers of court floors are Horner, Robbins and Connor Sports Flooring. It is required that an NBA court is changed every 10 years, although teams can apply for year on year extensions after inspection. Some lasting as long as 20 years!

Why are NBA courts made of hard maple wood?

NBA floors are made of hard maple wood because of several factors. It is one of the hardest woods giving durability and strength, it has a tight grain giving it a distinct and neat presentation and it is light in colour. Given the NBA is as much an entertainment business as it is a Sports League the lightness in colour of the wood is very important. It allows the ball to be seen better by players, fans and officials, while reflecting more light, brightening arenas and allowing that glossy shine that can be seen on TV. For anyone players reading who have been lucky enough to walk or even play on a high end wooden floor, let alone an NBA one you’ll know how premium it feels.

Do NBA wooden floors affect performance?

The answer to this is most definitely yes. It is not just the lightness, pattern and visual design of the NBA floor that teams can control when ordering it. They can also control the way it feels to walk, jump and run on and how the ball feels bouncing on it. Each manufacturer has its own patented subflooring system they can offer to teams. These consist of everything from plywood builds to specialized cushioning systems that give the floor a different feel. The more energy the floor absorbs the less energy is returned to the player. It has been likened to running on sand, if there is to much cushioning. This can be tailored to what the organisation, maybe even star players, prefer. Some franchises opt for no cushioning options at all.

As a final flourish, NBA courts are finished with a high gloss polyurethane used to ensure the court has a controlled and even grip throughout. It is vital that these finely tuned athletes can trust the ground underneath them, so they can focus on the task at hand – getting buckets. Each floor’s coefficient of friction is between 0.5 and 0.7. Anything outside this range starts to become to sticky or to slippery.

Each manufacturer will provide extensive aftersales care for these flagship products. Horner – who supplied the NBA courts for the 2020 Orlando Bubble -even had engineers living within the Bubble to ensure each floor can be inspected and treated to ensure maximum performanc.

What Kind of Wood Are NBA Courts Made From?

It’s safe to say that very few people pay attention to the actual floor when watching a basketball game. It’s easy to forget what goes into making the court. From cutting trees to laying it down before a game, the floor is vital to the basketball experience, yet the average fan knows little about it.

A deeper look into basketball courts, however, shows just how important and fascinating the story behind the hardwood really is. 

What kind of wood is used? 

The standard NBA floor is made from acer saccharum, also known as hard maple. This specific variety is harder than most hardwoods and lighter in color. To turn these trees into a playable surface, the NBA employs three companies, Horner, Robbins, and Connor Sports Flooring.

Hard maple is a tight-grained wood, lending to its hardness and durability on the court. This keeps the floor from cracking under the weight of 10 players jumping up and down. Only the Boston Celtics use a different wood, red oak in a parquet pattern.

At just over three-quarters of an inch, the wood slabs are thinner than you’d think. While much has changed in the NBA, maple flooring has been made in a relatively similar way since the 1800s. The floor receives one of three grades, which helps account for differences in aesthetics.

History of the basketball court

A lot has changed since Dr. James Naismith first invented the game of basketball. The peach baskets became nets, and they no longer hang on balconies. Nine-man teams became five-man teams, and there are far more than 13 rules. The floor, however, is largely the same. 

Basketball has transcended hard maple on occasion. Naismith, after all, designed the game to occur on any surface. Street basketball has been played on the blacktop since the game went mainstream. A 1931 showcase of basketball took place at Madison Square Garden using a canvas floor, and players used plastic other times. Maple, however, remained the ideal floor for basketball.

Designed for looks, cushioned for safety

Maple’s light color actually has an aesthetic advantage. A pleasant wood to look at, it allows people to see what’s happening more clearly. The grades of hard maple give floors unique looks. Some courts have a solid color, often made from the first grade of maple wood; others will combine grades, giving the floor contrast.

From Brooklyn’s eye-catching court design to Cleveland’s unmissable skyline, the wood’s grading (as well as paint and dye jobs), give each arena a little bit of character.  

Beneath the surface, cushions absorb some of the shock from a hard fall or strain. This prevents cracking and denting. It also helps absorb the energy that’s thrown onto the floor and ease the strain on players who are running back and forth on it.

‘The Hardwood’

Like the turf on football and baseball fields and the ice on hockey rinks, hardwood has entered the lexicon of basketball fans as a stand-in for the place where the game is played. By looking at what this means on a deeper level, perhaps fans can better appreciate just why the NBA uses hardwood and why it’s prevailed for over a century. 

By looking at what this means on a deeper level, perhaps fans can better appreciate just why the NBA uses hardwood and why it’s prevailed for over a century. 

Basketball court markings: standards and norms

Author of the article

Khvatkov Dmitry

Consultant in the production of rubber coatings

Basketball field marking requirements are approved by the FIBA ​​standard. The site must be flat with a hard surface, free of bends, cracks and other obstacles. The accepted dimensions of the field are 28 m long and 16 m wide. By NBA standards, the field is slightly larger: 28.7 m (94' ft) long and 15.3 m (50' ft) wide.

Areas not intended for international competitions may differ from accepted standards (for public use, in schools or universities, etc.) and usually vary from 20 to 28 m in length and from 12 to 16 m in width.

Basketball Court Marking Standards

Basketball court markings are conventionally divided into 5 components:

• Boundary lines. They are located along the perimeter of the site and set its size. The lines that run along the field are called side lines, and those that are behind the baskets are called front lines.
• Central line. Divides the court in half parallel to the front lines.
• Central zone. It is a circle and is placed in the middle of the center line, and, accordingly, in the center of the entire field.
• Three-point line. It is a semi-ellipse and is located around the shields on both sides of the field. It limits the close range.
• Free throw line. It is located in front of the boards parallel to the front line and is limited on the sides by paint lines.

The standard line width is 5 cm. All outlines and lines must be of the same color (usually white) and be clearly visible from anywhere on the court.

Common lines

Common lines are used to limit the playing area of ​​the court. The side lines (along the field) according to FIBA ​​standards should be 28 m long, and the front lines - 16 m. For public areas, deviations from the accepted standards are allowed. Typically, basketball courts in schools or gyms are made from 20 m long and 12 m wide.

Central lines

The center line is parallel to the front and divides the field exactly in half. According to the standards - it should extend beyond the side lines by 15 cm on both sides.

In the middle of the center line there is a circle with a diameter of 3.6 m, which limits the central zone of the field. In this zone, the ball is played at the beginning of the game.

Three-Point Line

Three-Point Lines are located around the backboards on both sides of the field and consist of two straight lines 2.9 long9 m and a semicircle. Straight lines run perpendicular to the front at a distance of 0. 9 m from the side lines. Despite the fact that visually the distance from the ring to the side of the three-point line seems to be less than to its central part, the distance from the backboard to any point is 6.75 m.

Penalty lines

Penalty lines limit the nearest area at the backboard. They consist of a trapezoid and a free throw zone.

Despite the name, the "trapezium" is a rectangle (until 2009year it really was a trapezoid), which is located under the shield. Its dimensions are 5.8 meters long and 4.9 meters wide. The shield is located at a distance of 1.575 m from the end line in the middle of the site. In front of the backboard, at a distance of 1.25 m, there is a semicircle that limits the area for picking up the ball.

At a distance of 4.225 meters from the backboard, the trapeze zone ends and the free throw zone begins. It is a semicircle with a diameter of 3.6 m (like the central circle).

Paint zone lines

These lines are serifs on both sides of the trapezoid (parallel to the side lines). They limit the areas for players who are fighting for the ball during a free throw.

Zones on the basketball field

The basketball court is divided into zones using markings. Each zone has its own specific rules.

Center circle

The center circle is used as a separate kick-off area at the start of the game. One representative from each team stand in a circle from their side and fight for the ball in a jump, after it is dropped by the referee. All players are exclusively on their side of the field, except for one who rebounds on the opponent's side.

Neutral zone

The peculiarity of this zone is that as soon as the player of the attacking team with the ball crosses the center line and is on the side of the opponent, he cannot pass the ball to the player of his team who is on the other side of the field (i.e. behind center line on your side).

Three-point zone

The three-point line limits the near zone of the shot. Hitting the basket from outside the basket brings the team three points. If the throw was made inside the zone, then it brings two points.

Three-second zone

This is the zone in close proximity to the ring. It is called three-second, since the player of the attacking team cannot be in it for more than three seconds. Most balls are thrown in this zone, so when attacking, it provides maximum protection.

Free throw area

In controversial situations, a free throw is provided from this area. The player of the attacking team must score the ball without stepping over the line of the trapezoid. At the same time, the players of both teams are not in the three-second zone. They take up positions along the paint lines on the sides of the trapezoid and may not step outside the lines until the free throw shooter has shot the ball.

How to mark a basketball field?

Basketball field markings, whether it is an international competition court or an open-air amateur field, are best applied using special equipment. This will ensure the long life of the coating, the lines will not clog and will promote fair play.

You can order the marking of a basketball court in Moscow and the Moscow region from Rezkom. We will measure the premises and develop a design project for the field so that it complies with generally accepted rules and is convenient for operation. For more details, you can contact our manager by phone 8-495-64-24-111.

Construction of a turnkey basketball court|SportObject

The company "SportObject" offers its services in the construction of turnkey basketball courts. Trusting the construction of our company, you get a whole range of turnkey services, including design, ground work, laying the base and coating, marking and other construction work. We strictly adhere to the agreed deadlines and provide our clients with a work schedule that indicates the start and completion dates for construction.

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Stages of construction on the example of a football stadium

The thickness of the foundation pit and the amount of materials that are needed for your foundation, we select depending on the size of the field. We select drainage and other systems based on the regional location (how much precipitation is in your region, what kind of drainage is needed). Additionally, we equip drainage wells, or divert them to the drainage system. Field slopes of several different types depending on site operating conditions.

Preparation of excavation, sand bed, drainage system

The quality of a football field is more than half dependent on the quality of the base! Our base is a monolithic solid single layer, which over the years does not form any fractures, the soil does not go anywhere and remains flat throughout the entire period of operation. Relatively speaking, even if a tractor passes over the base, there will be no tire marks, because everything is solid and dense!

Sequential compaction of base layers

We carry out all types of additional improvement works: we can install a fence for you, pave an asphalt path to something, level the territory, paint walls, borders, etc. We will perform all the required related work!

Installation of the curbstone

The laying of the artificial grass itself is as important as the preparation of the base. When laying the field, an important aspect is gluing the rolls and cutting the markings. Gluing must be done securely. The material in the work requires getting used to, because the two-component glue rolls down after a while and they need to work quickly.

Laying the grass on the prepared base, gluing it and cutting the markings

Be sure to remember: the gate is installed with a safety requirement so that it does not turn over. Therefore, this aspect is given special importance. In this regard, the gate is either concreted or attached to an accompanying fence.

Installation of the goal

The backfill of a football field determines a large part of the performance of the game. The backfilling work is responsible, because the presence or absence of drops and bumps, which will eventually be felt during the game, depends on the uniform distribution of sand and crumb rubber on sports grounds. That is, there should be both an even base and a high-quality pile with an even distribution of backfill under it.

Raising grass, distributing sand and crumb rubber across the field

We cooperate with the largest manufacturers of stands, fences and other sports equipment in the Russian Federation. Therefore, if necessary, we can supply everything you need to the object at a wholesale price. We install all this equipment, advise in which cases which is better, etc. We can supply many things both in a finished version and make them ourselves on the spot.

Installation of additional equipment (treadmills, jumping pits, safety fences, grandstands)

You can also be sure that we will carry out all the necessary arrangements for their improvement on the site and the adjacent territory.

Landscaping

The thickness of the foundation pit and the amount of materials that are needed for your foundation, we select depending on the size of the field. We select drainage and other systems based on the regional location (how much precipitation is in your region, what kind of drainage is needed). Additionally, we equip drainage wells, or divert them to the drainage system. Field slopes of several different types depending on site operating conditions.

Preparation of excavation, sand bed, drainage system

The quality of a football field is more than half dependent on the quality of the base! Our base is a monolithic solid single layer, which over the years does not form any fractures, the soil does not go anywhere and remains flat throughout the entire period of operation. Relatively speaking, even if a tractor passes over the base, there will be no tire marks, because everything is solid and dense!

Sequential compaction of base layers

We carry out all types of additional improvement works: we can install a fence for you, pave an asphalt path to something, level the territory, paint walls, borders, etc. We will perform all the required related work!

Installation of the curbstone

The laying of the artificial grass itself is as important as the preparation of the base. When laying the field, an important aspect is gluing the rolls and cutting the markings. Gluing must be done securely. The material in the work requires getting used to, because the two-component glue rolls down after a while and they need to work quickly.

Laying the grass on the prepared base, gluing it and cutting the markings

Be sure to remember: the gate is installed with a safety requirement so that it does not turn over. Therefore, this aspect is given special importance. In this regard, the gate is either concreted or attached to an accompanying fence.

Installation of the goal

The backfill of a football field determines a large part of the performance of the game. The backfilling work is responsible, because the presence or absence of drops and bumps, which will eventually be felt during the game, depends on the uniform distribution of sand and crumb rubber on sports grounds. That is, there should be both an even base and a high-quality pile with an even distribution of backfill under it.

Raising grass, distributing sand and crumb rubber across the field

We cooperate with the largest manufacturers of stands, fences and other sports equipment in the Russian Federation. Therefore, if necessary, we can supply everything you need to the object at a wholesale price. We install all this equipment, advise in which cases which is better, etc. We can supply many things both in a finished version and make them ourselves on the spot.

Installation of additional equipment (treadmills, jumping pits, safety fences, grandstands)

You can also be sure that we will carry out all the necessary arrangements for their improvement on the site and the adjacent territory.

Landscaping

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We are engaged in maintenance of the facility after commissioning: we take care of the condition of sports surfaces, ennoble areas, do glazing and other general construction work.

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Company "SportObject" offers its services in the field of sports construction. We are engaged in the construction of turnkey basketball courts: we design, draw up design estimates, coordinate the construction, mount the foundation and roof structures, lay bases and coverings, perform finishing work, provide communications and deliver sports equipment. Each of the stages of work is implemented strictly according to the schedule agreed with the client, which allows us to deliver a fully finished project on time.

We value the trust of each customer and guarantee comfortable cooperation

• We travel to any place in Russia;
• We provide detailed advice on construction issues;
• We select high-quality solutions for the client's budget;
• We help with the choice of an advantageous place for construction;
• We work with complex and non-standard ideas;
• We offer creative solutions within a reasonable budget;
• We provide additional facility maintenance in other regions of Russia.

We supply basketball surfaces from world manufacturers

The dynamics of basketball matches means high speed, sudden movements and heavy loads on the joints. It is very important that the flooring of the basketball court is both wear-resistant and injury-proof at the same time. For basketball courts we offer: tennis, hard or soft-hard, modular plastic, polyurethane coating and crumb rubber coating.

Our company only works with proven materials that have passed the strictest quality control, so we offer a wide selection of outdoor basketball surfaces from domestic and foreign manufacturers, such as: ERFOLG , BERGO , PLASTFACTO , Conica , Novol , Aropa , CRUMB , GUMBIT 9099 , MASTER FIBER and many more.