Why do basketball backboards shatter?

It occurs when a player slam dunks the ball with sufficient force to shatter the tempered safety glass of the backboard. The stunt has caused games to be canceled or delayed, incurring a foul for the offending player, serious injuries to occur and expensive costs of cleanup and replacement.

Can acrylic backboards break?

Any hard object that impacts the surface of the glass at a high velocity can potentially cause tempered glass to shatter. Because acrylic is a softer material than tempered glass, a rock or other hard object thrown at an acrylic backboard will more than likely just bounce off with little to no damage.

Why are basketball backboards made of glass?

Today, NCAA and NBA backboards come in 1/2-inch thick tempered glass. Tempered glass is made shatter-resistant through a rapid heating and cooling process. This is what gives a backboard its strength and causes it to break into smaller pieces if a player manages to shatter it.

How easy is it to break a backboard?

Even on severely outdated goals — those without breakaway rims — shattering a backboard is a unique feat. “Occasionally, we’ll hear about a board that has broken, but it’s very, very infrequent,” said Joe Connerley, the chief engineer at Gared Sports. “Most of the time, it’s in arenas where larger players play.

What material are NBA backboards made of?

It is made of a flat, rigid piece of, often Plexiglas or tempered glass which also has the properties of safety glass when accidentally shattered. It is usually rectangular as used in NBA, NCAA and international basketball.

Who was the first to shatter a backboard?

On November 13, 1979, in the middle of a game at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Philadelphia 76ers center Darryl Dawkins leaps over Kansas City Kings forward Bill Robinzine and slam-dunks the basketball, shattering the fiberglass backboard.

What is plexiglass material?

Acrylic plastic is a transparent thermoplastic homopolymer that is often colloquially referred to as plexiglass. This plastic has unique properties that make it ideal for a variety of purposes, ranging from basic household items to fiber optic cables that power the world.

What is the difference between acrylic and polycarbonate backboards?

When it comes to clear backboards, two types you will commonly see are acrylic and polycarbonate. Acrylic and Polycarbonate are essentially very similar materials. They are basically both clear plastic materials. However, polycarbonate is marketed as being bullet proof whereas acrylic is not.

Will tempered glass backboard break?

Tempered Glass Basketball Backboards Traditional glass is annealed to strengthen it. However, tempered glass is four times stronger than annealed glass. And while this traditional glass can shatter into large jagged shards when broken, tempered glass fractures into small, relatively harmless pieces.

Can you use plexiglass for a basketball backboard?

Plexiglass is a weather resistant alternative to traditional plywood basketball backboards. A see-through backboard for the hoop is both practical and attractive. A regulation size backboard can be inexpensive to make, but does require the right tools and patience.

Did Wilt break backboards?

“Don’t be silly,” came the reply, “even Wilt [Chamberlain] couldn’t do it.” Yet sure enough, the next game his Philadelphia 76ers played ended with a dramatic, backboard-shattering dunk, sending teammates and opposition running alike. Three weeks later he did it again.

Who has shattered a backboard?

What does backboard shatter mean in basketball?

Backboard shattering. A backboard shattering is an accident or stunt in basketball. It occurs when a player slam dunks the ball hard enough to break the 1/2″ tempered safety glass of the backboard. The stunt has caused games to be canceled or delayed, serious injuries to occur and expensive costs of cleanup and replacement.

What is it called when you break a backboard?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia A backboard shattering (also known as backboard breaking or backboard smash) is an accident or stunt in basketball. It occurs when a player slam dunks the ball with sufficient force to shatter the tempered safety glass of the backboard.

What NBA player shattered two backboards in one game?

In the American Basketball Association (ABA), Charlie Hentz shattered two backboards in the same game on November 6, 1970, resulting in the game being cancelled. Darryl Dawkins became famous for shattering backboards, and is credited for being the one person to cause the NBA to introduce breakaway rims.

Why was the backboard banned in high school?

Backboard shattering. In 1967, the dunk was banned in high school and college basketball. The rule-makers claimed the dunk was outlawed to prevent injury and equipment damage. After multiple issues with the new rule, nine years later they allowed the slam dunk to be legal again due to the invention of the breakaway rim.