Basketball has changed considerably from the days of James Naismith.
As the sport of basketball has grown, the equipment used for the sport has evolved and improved.
Traditionally, the most common basketball rims are permanent metal hoops typically observed in parks, educational facilities and gymnasiums.
However, over time the athletes participating in basketball have become larger, stronger and more aggressive, necessitating the need for new engineering.
In the seventies, the game of basketball took flight with stars like Wilt Chamberlain, Dr.
J.
, and Kareem the Dream.
The dynamic slam dunks that such players brought to the sport could possibly shatter the glass on goals outfitted with fixed rims.
Such rims attach to the backboard using a bracket and bolts and don't give when confronted by the forces generated by slam dunks.
To compensate for the growing intensity and extreme approach of modern basketball players, the breakaway rim was designed.
Breakaway basketball goals are traditional size and shape, but a different type of bracket is used to attach them on the backboard.
The bracket for breakaway basketball rims is supplied with springs to permit the rim to bend when downward force is applied.
There are a couple of basic sorts of breakaway rims, flex and competition.
The former is engineered to give down when it is contacted in a straight line on, while the latter are designed to flex when approached from every angle.
While fixed hoops rims are fine for younger participants just figuring out the game, older, larger and more skilled players will be significantly better served by breakaway basketball goals.
Breakaway rims may permit players to figure out and perform more complex techniques, and they could help protect against injuries to the forearms and wrists during the middle of games or the midst of a spectacular slam dunk.
The flex of the rim causes much less resistance against the player's limbs, resulting in a reduced danger of personal injury.
Flex rims are often more expensive than fixed rims, but the level of play it will experience should be looked at when purchasing basketball equipment.
In the end, playing with the appropriate type of rim will prolong the life of the goal and deliver a better experience for the participants.