Inflation of a Basketball

[Doheny]

The NCAA has ball regs: 29.5-30 in., 7.5-8.5 psi, 49-54 in bounce when dropped from 6 ft. The Patriot controversy got me thinking about the effects on dribbling, passing, and shooting. In a novel I once read, an NBA coach would set the balls to one limit or the other depending on the team they were playing because a difference of even one basket could change the outcome of a game. Is there actually enough effect that a team would prefer to be at one end or the other of the inflation limits?

 

[AtlHusky]

It didn't used to, but these days it costs too much to answer that question.

 

[Kitaman]

Well I used to play with funny basketballs, outdoors back in the days. The ball bounced funnier in November vs July.

If I recall games were always shortened unless someone had a bicycle pump on hand, as the air would eventually leave the ball.

Now on the other hand we also had the over-inflated balls which had a lump/bubble on it. It also made for strange bounces but okay for say, horse.

People rarely came to the park with their best balls since their ball would be held hostage until the last game was played. No one wanted to hang around for 7 hours, not playing and waiting to get their ball back.

So we played with whatever was available. I'm sure nowadays this stuff doesn't happen indoors (you pups have it good!).

Sorry to digress but you guys you took me back to memory lane. Anyone else remember the playground basketball mishaps?

 

[mauconnfan]

You really learned how to handle it outside on the asphalt with a bubble on the ball that's for sure Kita

 

[Minicoop69]

we had Bubbles (we called them EGGS) but it wasn't due to over inflation. It was due to someone kicking the ball and the rubber getting stretched out. I was definitely hard trying to dribble.

also playing at playgrounds where the rims are 9 foot 8 or so. It was awesome for a white dude with no hops who is 6'6" to dunk almost all the time down the floor.

 

[sledog]

Do the rules specify which gas(es) to use, or not to use??

 

[BUConn10]

Do the rules specify which gas(es) to use, or not to use??

Gas? Im pretty sure the balls are just pumped with air, they arent filling them with helium or gasses lighter/heavier than air.

 

[sledog]

Perhaps a variable to exploit. Hydrogen, and up up and away ...

 

[Husky25]

The difference is that all 10 players across the two teams on the court use a basketball and only one ball is used throughout the contest. The pressure of the ball is supposed to give rise to that 49-54 inch bounce reaction when dropped from 6 feet and the ref routinely does test bounces prior to putting the ball in play. Very difficult to do a bounce test on an oblong object.

Secondly, I can't locate them at present, but I remember hearing stories of players like Michael Jordan complaining a basket was off during a shoot-around. Low and behold the basket would be at 9'-11" or 10'-1/2".

 

[boba]

Gas? Im pretty sure the balls are just pumped with air, they arent filling them with helium or gasses lighter/heavier than air.

Actually nitrogen would be the preferred as it changes volume / temperature slowly. While our atmosphere (what we call "air") is 70% nitrogen, that 1 - 3 % of water vapor can significantly decrease in volume. It's why air compressor have bleeder valves to drain water.