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About basketball rings and backboards
Basketball rings or hoops are a popular piece of recreation equipment used by many families and found around many homes.
Risks and injuries from the product
Slam dunking the ball places the full weight of the person onto the ring.
Serious injuries and death can occur if:
- people slam dunk on a basketball ring that is not installed properly
- a basketball ring is installed onto a brick wall, such as over a garage door.
These structures can collapse, putting people in danger from falling bricks, posts, rings and backboards.
A basketball ring and backboard can be unsafe even if it appears to be safely attached to a brick or freestanding wall. This may be because:
- the wall is not designed for this type of use
- after use, the structure can be weakened and collapse.
Things to look for when buying the product
People have been seriously injured playing with basketball rings. For this reason, there’s a mandatory standard that suppliers and retailers must comply with.
The mandatory standard applies to basketball rings and backboards that are for domestic use, including portable basketball systems.
Only buy and use basketball rings and backboards that comply with the basketball rings and backboards mandatory standard.
The mandatory standard warnings don’t apply to toy basketball rings or to backboards for toy basketball rings.
A toy basketball ring is a miniature basketball ring, with or without a backboard, not permanently attached to anything. Examples of toy basketball rings are:
- basketball rings that hang over internal doors
- basketball rings attached to internal doors by suction cups or a similar temporary method
- miniature portable basketball systems intended for use by toddlers
- toy basketball rings used with a miniature soft ball.
Marks and labels
- Make sure it has a safety warning. This is required by the mandatory standard.
- The backboard must be marked on the front with a permanent safety warning about the dangers of swinging on the basketball ring.
Basketball rings and backboards must be permanently marked with this warning:
Second-hand basketball rings and backboards
If you decide to use, buy or borrow a second-hand basketball ring and backboard make sure it has the mandatory safety warning on it.
For tips and more information, see Buy second-hand products that are safe.
How to use the product safely
- You should always follow the manufacturer’s instructions to safely install and use basketball rings and backboards.
- Don’t install basketball rings and backboards on brick walls as they may collapse. Consult a structural engineer if you have any concerns about the safety or stability of your installation.
- Never hang or swing on a basketball ring.
