Basketball Manitoba today announced a radical change to the size of the basketball rim used at all levels of the game. Effective April 1, 2015, the size of all basketball rims will now use a 10 inch diameter, down from the old standard of 18 inches. A regulation basketball is 9 inches in diameter, leaving a generous 1 inch around the ball and the new rim.
The change comes into effect after extensive research and feedback on the evolution of the game. For the past 4 years, researchers have been studying ways to remedy the increasing concern that scoring has become far too easy for players.
Basketball Manitoba Executive Director Adam Wedlake commented, "We have seen scoring success skyrocket over the last generation and we needed a way to add another level of difficulty to the game. We have been receiving a growing wave of concern from coaches that players are finding the act of shooting and scoring becoming less and less challenging. A change needed to be made."
In the past, attempts to raise the height of the basket, increase the size of the basketball, 4 add a 4 point line and even reduce the shot clock to 12 seconds have made little to no dent in the growing demand to make the game more challenging. It is strongly believed the reduction of the rim size will do just that.
Researchers ultimately settled on the new rim size of 10 inches by studying the results from travelling carnivals throughout the country. One of the operators of these carnivals was quoted in the report as to saying "We been doin' the tiny rim for this here thing for long time. I recon maybe one out of a hundred of these there shots go in. Folks must love it 'cuz we keep seein' these marks coming back with cash for more shootin' all the time."
The recommendations were considering adding an oval shape to the rim as used at carnivals from the traditional round shape rim, but it was decided in the end to postpone that change once the new rim sizes settle in.
The change will be introduced to all levels of basketball in Manitoba effective April 1, 2015. The recommendations came from consulting firm Yad, Sloof and Lirpa, who oversaw the entire process on Basketball Manitoba's behalf.
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