Every athletic facility is different. Building footprint, ceiling height, equipment location, and ceiling structure changes from project to project. To deal with this reality, Draper custom designs and manufactures superstructure for each unit to match with the ceiling structure, and provides several types of basketball backstops to fit into different facility layouts.
The question is, which type of backstop do you use, and when?
Front- and rear-braced backstop examples.
Rear-braced, rear-folding, ceiling-suspended
Court size and the relationship of the court to the walls or other structures may not permit the use of rear-folding ceiling-suspended backstops. As a general rule of thumb, a rear-folding backstop requires the attachment height minus nine feet behind the goal in order to achieve a complete fold. Bent stem or compact rolling units can decrease this dimension by a couple of feet, but they may also be more expensive and might not fold as tightly to the ceiling structure.
Rear-braced, forward-folding, ceiling-suspended
This may be a good option when there is limited space between the court and the wall. Normally this style of backstop has a brace that runs at an angle about 30 degrees. At an attachment height of 18 feet, the rear brace is located about 5 feet, 6 inches behind the face of the backboard. For each foot increase in the attachment height, about 6 inches more space is required for the brace.
Front-braced, forward-folding, ceiling-suspended
If the wall or other obstructions are too close to the court to allow for any type of rear brace, a front-braced and folded unit may be an option. One issue with these units is the remote possibility of the front brace getting in the way during gameplay. With this style of backstop, it should always be specified that the front brace meet rule requirements to ensure that it does not interfere with play. A unit with a bent stem can further decrease the chances that a front brace will ever interfere with play.
Side-folding, ceiling-suspended
Side folding ceiling suspended backstops are good options when conditions prevent the use of other models. However, they may not fold as compactly as forward- or rear-fold backstops. Also, at low heights or with tall bleachers, they may obstruct sightlines.
DUW is a folding wall-mounted backstop.
Wall-mounted
Facilities with courts in close proximity to the walls may allow for the use of wall-mounted backstops. Keep in mind that the wall construction must be sufficient to carry a load of up to 6600 pounds.
Portable
Facilities with extremely high ceilings or too little support for ceiling suspended backstops may require the use of portable backstops.
To learn more about our different backstops, click here.
