Introduction
Basketball is a confusing sport for many people. All of the little rules and stipulations can make it hard for new fans to adapt and learn. However, it’s not impossible, and there are some pretty basic concepts that we can cover to help you get started on that journey. The first question that comes to mind is whether or not you are allowed to use the backboard in basketball.
The answer to this question is YES. You are able to use the backboard in any way that you want to. The only way that you can’t use the backboard is if you attempt to bounce a ball off the top of it and have it roll down and in. If the ball hits the direct top of the backboard and goes backwards, it is ruled out of bounds. Otherwise, you can’t use it for any situation that might pop up in front of you.
There are actually so many uses for the backboard, that you’d have to group some of them together in order to not drag on forever. Simple to say, it’s one of the most important factors in the game of basketball.
Taking Shots
Of course, using the backboard when you shoot is the easiest one to talk about first. As most of you know, the rim that you need to put the ball in is right in front of the backboard, making avoiding the backboard completely very difficult for some people. That’s why you don’t have to avoid it. Some professional players have made a living off of utilizing the backboard to help them make shots. Whether that be three-pointers, layups, hook shots, floaters, etc. Any situation that involves attempting to put the ball in the basket, can be used alongside the backboard in order to make that happen.
You might hear people complain about using the backboard for shooting, though it’s a very vital part of the game. Being aware of bounces and how they might affect the way the ball moves is a great skill to have if you plan on being effective on offense.
Passing The Ball Out
Passing isn’t always used in the traditional sense when you want to make use of the backboard. Most of the time, you see the ball get bounced off the backboard when a player is trying to set up a dunk attempt. The most notable method of this is when they attempt to pass to a teammate that is trailing them.
The biggest example of this is involving the iconic picture of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, as Wade tossed the ball up off the backboard and LeBron trailed behind him to slam it down afterwards. You don’t see this happen much in half-court offenses, though you can see it very often in the NBA when a fastbreak comes down and there are two teammates running with one another.
The other way that a player can pass off the backboard is when they plan to dunk it themselves. This is truly one of the rarest things to see at a professional level, but it’s happened a number of times. Going back to LeBron, he attempted it in the NBA Finals and a few other times. It’s difficult, though if you get stuck, you can pop the ball off the backboard, sprint up to it and jump to slam it home. After all, it’s not a travel if you grab the ball while it’s still in the air and dunk it.
Blocking Opponents At The Rim
When you are attempting to defend the rim and block any shots taken in the paint, it can be challenging to do so without making use of the backboard. You can think of it as a wall that helps keep the opponents shots in front of you and utilize it to close the gap on some of them. Of course, this means that you are able to use the backboard defensively as well.
Let’s say that you are chasing after somebody in transition, and they have a step on you, but you are the taller and more athletic player. They attempt to make a layup, but you use your advantage and launch yourself towards the ball to try and block it. You are able to block the ball off the backboard to prevent it from going in. If you couldn’t use the backboard, then blocking this type of shot would be impossible as there’s nowhere else to put it. Luckily, that’s not the case. And instead, we have been able to watch some truly iconic plays happen like LeBron’s block on Andre Iguodala in the NBA Finals. I guess LeBron makes use of the backboard all right.
It Can Be A Negative
There aren’t all positives when using the backboard, there are negatives as well. For example, if you are attempting a three-pointer from the corner and hit the backboard, chances are that you will not be making the shot at all. Those corner three-pointers that hit the backboard often hit the side or become an embarrassing miss for any professional player. Even if you shoot normally and only hit the backboard without getting close to the rim, it can give the other team the ball quicker and have them kickstart their fastbreak offense.
The majority of uses for the backboard are positive, but you can’t get too carried away with that and attempt to utilize it on every possession. Not only with the other team catch on, but it will also become less reliable the more that you force it.
Can’t Go Over The Top
We briefly mentioned this earlier, but you can’t send the ball over the top of the backboard straight on. You can, however, go over the top from behind. Basically, you are not legally allowed to shoot the basketball at the rim, and have it bounce over the back of the backboard. This means that it went out of bounds.
What you can do in order to utilize the top of the backboard, is run toward the baseline and shoot a high arching shot up and dover the backboard to float down into the rim. It’s one of the hardest shots to make on the floor, but it’s legal and has been done before by numerous NBA players.