Goal structure

Claim 1

IN A BASKETBALL BACKSTOP ASSEMBLY THE IMPROVEMENT OF A METAL BANK HAVING A GENERALLY VERTICAL FLAT PLAYING FACE AND A REAR SURFACE, SAID BANK HAVING A PERIPHERAL FLANGE PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM THE REAR SURFACE TO STIFFEN THE MARGINAL AREAS OF THE VERTICAL PLAYING FACE, A PRE-ASSEMBLED FRAME INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF ELEMENTS DISTRIBUTED OVER THE REAR SURFACE OF SAID BANK, EACH OF SAID ELEMENTS HAVING A FLAT FACE OF SUBSTANTIAL WIDTH PRESENTED TO SAID REAR SURFACE AND LYING IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PLANE WITH THE FLAT FACES OF OTHERS OF SAID ELEMENTS, MEANS CARRIED BY THE REAR SURFACE OF SAID BANK AND PROJECTING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM TO SECURE SAID FRAME TO SAID BANK AT A PLURALITY OF SPACED PLACES TO RETAIN SAID FLAT PLAYING SURFACE SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT AND TO STIFFEN SAID BANK BEHIND SAID VERTICAL PLAYING FACE INWARDLY OF SAID PERIPHERAL FLANGE, AND BASKETBALL IMPACTS SOUND DEADENING MEANS ON SAID BANK AND IN POSITION TO REDUCE VIBRATION IN SAID PLAYING FACE, SAID SOUND DEADENING MEANS COMPRISING COMPRESSIBLE CUSHION STRIPS ENGAGING ELONGATED AREAS OF THE BANK BY BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID FLAT FACE OF SAID FRAME ELEMENTS AND THE ADJACENT REAR SURFACE OF SAID BANK, SAID SOUND AND VIBRATION DEADENING CUSHIONING STRIPS BEING SECURED IN POSITION BY SAID PROJECTING MEANS SECURING SAID FRAME TO SAID BANK.