MIES (Switzerland) - FIBA is taking strides to ensure the highest level of product testing by introducing a new round robin quality assessment of test institutes.  

The FIBA's Approval Program is designed to ensure a safe environment and a high-quality level playing field for players, referees, coaches and all involved in the sport. High standards are set to give confidence to the market who are making an investment in new basketball equipment.  

In 2019, FIBA introduced the Accredited Test Institute program to harmonize basketball equipment testing around the globe. FIBA Accredited Test Institutes follow the test methods set out in the FIBA Handbook of Test Methods and Requirements and are the only test labs qualified to perform such testing.  

FIBA's network of 38 Accredited Test Institutes 

This interlaboratory round robin quality assessment is aimed at raising the quality and credibility of product testing  across FIBA's network of test institutes and identifies any underperforming test institutes or inconsistent test methods.  

Twenty-one existing and applicant test institutes participated in the process. Each accredited or applicant test institute was sent a synthetic flooring sample cut from the same production roll. The test institute was required to perform a set of nine measurements on the sample and submit the results to FIBA. FIBA conducted statistical analysis in order to identify the outlying results in seven of the flooring tests such as force reduction and specular gloss. The test institutes with results that fell outside the defined limits were required to perform additional checks to identify the reason and take corrective actions.  

Quality Assessment for Accredited Test Institutes

"High-quality product testing is the foundation of the FIBA Approval Program. The introduction of the test institute assessment helps to guarantee accurate testing results are being obtained. We are pleased that FIBA's basketball equipment testing standards are now considered the industry standard and that customers of basketball equipment can place their confidence in the FIBA approval label," said Bart Prinssen Head of FIBA's Equipment & Venue Centre. 

Roberto Armeni, Managing Director of Labosport Italy, one of FIBA's Accredited Test Institutes said: "Labosport shares FIBA's vision in strengthening the quality of FIBA Accredited Test Institutes, which play a vital role in maintaining fair and accurate conditions for all equipment manufacturers.

"Quality assessment is a necessary step to establish processes conforming to FIBA testing standards and technicians are qualified to perform tests consistently. Labosport is honored to be a FIBA Accredited Test Institute and immensely pleased to take part in FIBA's Round Robin Quality Assessment."

Artificial Athlete apparatus is being used to measure the Shock Absorption of the flooring sample in different lab locations around the world

Since FIBA introduced its testing program in 2019, accredited test institutes have performed more than 600 product tests to certify the industry's top-quality products. All FIBA Approved Equipment is tested against a set of criteria aimed at measuring equipment safety, durability and dimensional conformance to ensure that it meets the high-level demands of basketball competitions. 

To find out more about the FIBA Equipment & Venue Centre click here. 

FIBA