Rule change opens door for state of the art court flooring at FIBA competitions

MIES (Switzerland) - FIBA is always searching for new innovations in the game, and the recently approved rule changes will enable exactly this, with LED glass flooring now accepted at FIBA's national team and club competitions.   

In March this year, FIBA's Central Board approved the use of LED glass flooring at Level 1 competitions, with the rule coming into force later this year on October 1, 2022. 

Traditionally Level 1 competitions have been played only on wooden flooring, however, with the advancements made in the glass floor technology, allowing the system to meet the highest standard of player safety and performance, competition organizers will soon be able to select FIBA Approved Wooden or Glass flooring for their next events.

"We are excited to see innovations that offer a holistic experience for both fans and sponsors being accepted at more FIBA competitions. This change of rule certainly opens doors for more innovative products to join FIBA's Equipment & Venue Centre Approval program," said Bart Prinssen, Head of Equipment & Venue Centre.

Currently, two glass floorings, the ASB MultiSports and ASB LumiFlex offered by ASB GlassFloor, have both been approved by FIBA's Equipment & Venue Centre. The former is a glass sports floor with LED marking lines under the floor while the LumiFlex court is a full video floor allowing for interactive training applications as well as an enhanced show staging with additional options for advertising. The flooring also features the ability to add player tracking to the video floor, making it possible to display athletic achievements on the floor, providing fans with enhanced interaction and better engagement.

 
The individual illumination of single-game lines of ASB MultiSports flooring allows only lines of the sport being played to be visible unlike many gym floors with multiple game lines laid out causing possible confusion. Additionally, the sports lines can be switched on and off by means of a touchpad, providing greater efficiency for multi-sports stadiums, with no downtime for changing the floors.

ASB has been a partner with FIBA's Equipment & Venue Centre since 2017 and knows having the FIBA approval will be a long-term benefit for the company.

"We see FIBA as the global organization to move basketball forward. For this, we have a joint vision. We have developed a no-compromise sports floor with, firstly, the athlete in mind. The GlassFloor features ceramic dots for grip, that provide completely equal levels of control across the surface without causing skin burn when falling as well as higher elasticity at equal ball rebound. FIBA Level 1 is the most valuable approval in the world of indoor sports and enables our clients to hold high-end basketball tournaments, integrating unseen elements for audience entertainment and advertising", said ASB CEO Christof Babinsky.

The world renown Harlem Globetrotters were one of the first basketball teams to play on the surface when they performed in Dresden, Germany in 2017 because it provided unique advantages for the team's show. The floor was used during the 2021 Ruhr Games in Bochum, Germany for 3x3 basketball, where FIBA conducted player surveys and interviews to gain firsthand insight into users' experiences.

ASB glass flooring is on display in the Naismith Arena, FIBA's Museum, so basketball fans are welcome to come and try it out in person at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball in Mies, Switzerland.

The FIBA Equipment & Venue Centre welcomes innovative industry development in line with its mission to introduce more high-quality options for the basketball world and offers a global platform to find the highest level of quality, testing and innovation related to basketball equipment and software. Its partners supply approved products that fulfill the strict requirements of high-level basketball competitions. To find out more, click here.

FIBA