If you grew up playing basketball, you’ve probably seen countless hoops in all different kinds of conditions. At first glance, you may only notice the wear and tear; paint chipping, the net is dried and frayed, and the backboard is a little bent. However, if you take a closer look, you’ll realize that some rims were actually built differently. Some hoops have a single rim while others have a double rim.
Players, both amateur and professional, are very opinionated on this topic. Though a small difference, it can affect the gameplay tremendously and it even forces some players to adapt their shooting style. But it had to have been created for a reason, right? The answer is yes, and in the rest of the article, we will discuss what purpose each serves and do a few comparisons.
Why Were Double Rims Created?
The original intention of the double rim was mainly for durability; the rim itself can’t be bent as easily when players are dunking and hanging on it. A side effect that came after they were widely implemented is that they require shooters to perfect their shots. With a single rim, there is a bit more give to it. It absorbs the force of the ball and essentially allows it to slow down, giving the ball a higher probability of bouncing into the net. Because double rims are sturdier, much of the momentum from the ball stays with it, allowing it to bounce off the rim with a lot more speed.
Because double rims are less forgiving than single rims, shooters have started to rely less on the rim altogether when taking a shot. This means shots have to be that much more perfect to avoid hitting the rim as much as possible.
Are Double Rims Used In The NBA?
During the 2009 – 2010 season, the NBA changed to a double rim, specifically, the Spalding Arena Pro 180 Goal. Although a double rim, the unique mechanics of this rim allow the rim to give way to the ball more than just a standard double rim. The Arena Pro 180 breaks away at both the front and the sides, as opposed to being totally bolted to the backboard. This lessens the likelihood that a player will break the backboard when dunking or hanging on the rim and will allow the ball’s force to be absorbed more. This ESPN article goes a bit more into depth about the NBA’s rationale behind the switch, as well as some commentary from NBA players who played during that transition.
Are Double Rims Or Single Rims Better?
As mentioned in the first section of this article, double rim vs. single rim is a highly debated topic. You can even see in this video posted by House of Highlights that many NBA players would actually prefer to have a double rim vs. having no net. Although not the same comparison we are making in this article, it shows that the double rim can be a contentious topic by itself and implies that professional players generally prefer a single rim.
Based on some opinions and other information found around the internet, we’ve pieced together a table that shows which rim takes the cake in different categories.
| Category | Double Rim | Single Rim |
| Durability | X | |
| Player Preference | X | |
| Skill Development | X | |
| Current NBA Usage | X | |
| Affordability | X |
What Kinds Of Basketball Rims Are There?
There are 3 types of common basketball rims:
- Fixed Rims
- Breakaway Rims
- Flex Rims
Rims have a few more components besides their thickness; the three main types of rims are fixed, flex, and breakaway. As mentioned above, certain rims have breakaway points to reduce the amount of force impacting the backboard. Similar to how cars and other vehicles have crumple zones, increasing the amount of time it takes the force to impact the backboard reduces the amount of overall force applied to it. In this way, fewer backboards are smashed, and fewer rims bent as well.
Fixed Rims
These don’t have any springs or ways for the rim to give way when it is pulled on. This does not necessarily mean that the rims are not durable. Within fixed rims are a spectrum of quality and strength; some fixed rims will be very easy to bend if they don’t have good reinforcement on the back iron, while others can handle a lot of abuse with little sign of wear. In general, though, other kinds of rims that do have breaking points have a higher probability of maintaining their shape than most fixed rims and are less likely to injure a player than the fixed rims.
Breakaway Rims
These are the most well-known rim and have been a key factor in professional basketball since their creation in the 1970s. With a hinge and a spring located where the rim meets the backboard, the rim is able to absorb a lot of the force without bending out of shape or affecting the backboard. Breakaway rims also have a mechanism called a detent that regulates the amount of pressure required to bend the rim. These are definitely best when playing in leagues where athletes are dunking and pulling on the rim a lot.
Flex Rims
These are very similar to the breakaway rim with one exception. They don’t have the detent mechanism, so the spring will start to give way naturally as opposed to having a regulated weight required to bend it.
In Conclusion: Double Rim vs. Single Rim
Although it really depends on what your objectives are, the single rim is still the winner when it comes down to what the general preferences is. Single rims provide a broader level of playing ability by allowing athletes to rely more on the rim’s forgiveness than the total accuracy of the shot. This may sound counterintuitive, but you have to think about the spectrum of skill that every athlete has. With the exception of some professional games, the entire gamut of basketball players from beginner to NBA-level would likely have lower scores because of the difficulty the double rim adds.
Additionally, durability is important, but less so to a player than to a basketball organization or a facility with courts. If a rim gets deformed, or a backboard gets cracked, the players’ expectations are that they be fixed in a timely manner, so they are less focused on the long-term value of an individual rim, just as long as it’s in good shape when they are playing.