The Choice of Court Floor is Very Important
When designing and choosing the different elements for a basketball court, the choice of what type of flooring to use is a very important decision. The choice of flooring material can affect the quality of the game that is played as well as the safety of the players using the court.
Using a flooring surface that provides a high level of traction is extremely important to the safety of the players as well as ensuring the best potential quality of basketball is able to be played. Basketball is a game of agility and being able to change directions; the ability to start and stop quickly is imperative to success. The choice of flooring can greatly affect these movements on the court and quality floorings allow the players to achieve these movements without a high level of slippage.
Since basketball is a game of running, jumping and changing directions quickly there is an emphasis on developing new types of flooring that are proven to be less stressful on knees and joints than traditional flooring while providing similar benefits.
Outdoor Court Flooring
Outdoor court flooring choices are somewhat limited due to the added stresses of weather on the materials. The most traditional types of surfaces for outdoor courts are low cost materials such as asphalt or concrete. These materials are very weather resistant and provide decent levels of traction, but can be hazardous if not properly swept or if they are wet. Other materials have been developed that offer significant benefits over asphalt and concrete.
Rubberized tiles have become popular because they offer many advantages over asphalt and concrete. These rubberized tiles can usually be put down and picked up where they are needed. This provides a non-permanent basketball court surface that can be stored when not in use to prolong its durability. This type of flooring also provides moisture wicking properties that enable it to dry out quickly. These tiles are often as flexible as traditional hardwood floors lowering the stress on knees and joints. Asphalt and concrete offer no flexibility or shock absorption at all making them very hard on players' bodies.
Indoor Court Flooring
The traditional choice of flooring for indoor courts is hardwood. Hardwood provides many benefits to the players using these courts. Finished hardwood offers a high degree of traction as long as it is properly swept and relatively free of dust. The natural flex of the wood is built in shock absorption and reduces the impact felt in the knees and joints as well. In most cases hardwood is permanent flooring, but it can be used as a "floating floor” material in other cases as well for places like arenas. Hardwood is expensive to purchase, install and maintain which can lead to other types of flooring being chosen.
Rubberized tiles similar to those that are popular for outdoor use can also be used for indoor basketball courts. This alternative to hardwood can be assembled and disassembled very quickly, requires much less maintenance, enhanced durability and is a good choice of flooring if conditions are not optimal for hardwood.