Installation Tips

All of the residential basketball systems we sell can be easily installed by one or two people. If you have ever had to put together a basketball system from Wal-Mart or a local sporting goods store -- forget about that! Our basketball systems are nothing like the systems constructed of cheap tubular steel sold by so many of the national chain stores. Everything is welded with precision and everything fits the way it should. There are not a hundred little nuts and bolts you have to sort through and match with a hardware identifier. The number of pieces you have to assemble is kept to a minimum, and the included hardware is top quality, so you don't have to worry about stripped nuts and bolts. The detailed instructions provided by the manufacturer are located below for your convenience. If you have any questions before or after you order pertaining to installation, please feel free to call us anytime at 1-800-275-0317 and we'll be happy to assist you.

If you still do not want to do the installation of your basketball system yourself, local contractors will usually charge you a couple hundred dollars to complete the installation. If you would like, we can put you in touch with a national installer who would be a more expensive alternative to someone locally in your area. Please call us if you would like details.

See below for step by step instructions on the installation of a Goalrilla anchor basketball system:

Always remember to check with your local utilities so that when you dig you will be sure to avoid hitting cable TV lines, sprinkler lines, gas lines, telephone lines, underground dog fences and POWER LINES!!

• After checking to make sure there are no existing utility lines, dig a hole with a posthole digger according to the manufacturer's specifications. For basketball systems such as the Goalrilla, the hole will be 48” deep and about 16” in diameter, with a 20” bell at the bottom.  

• After digging the hole, place the rebar provided with the anchor system in a square in the middle of the hole, approximately 4” apart. Tap the rebar into the ground about 10-12” so the rebar is firmly in the ground.

• You can now assemble the anchor system. The anchor system will consist of a template plate, J-bolts, various washers, and nuts. On all four J-bolts thread a nut down as far as it will go, then place the anchor template on top. Then, thread another nut down the J-bolts to secure the template. Tighten this top nut on each J-bolt so the anchor template will not move.  

• You are now ready to mix the concrete. The easiest procedure it to mix the concrete directly in the hole with your posthole digger. The hole will usually take 6-8 bags of 80 lb concrete to fill. When mixing the concrete, try to keep it “wet”, but not runny.  

• Once the hole is filled with wet concrete, you are ready to place the anchor in the hole. Push the anchor into the wet concrete until the bottom nuts on the anchor system are in the concrete. Ensure that the anchor template is level with your playing surface. If the template is too far below the playing surface, it may not be possible to get your goal to go to 10 feet.  

• After putting the anchor in the concrete, ensure that the template is level by placing a level on the template both parallel and perpendicular to the playing surface. You will still be able to adjust the level of the pole after the concrete cures, but it is best to have it as close as possible. After making sure the template is level, let the concrete cure for at least 72 hours before proceeding to the remainder of the installation.  

• The remainder of the installation should take you between and hour and a half to two hours. You will need to help of at least one other person to lift the backboard to the lower extension arm.