If you speak the language, you can communicate more effectively as you do your sport-surfaces homework. Here are a few of the words you'll hear tossed around in flooring discussions.

Point-elastic surface A surface that bends at the point of pressure and absorbs energy. Most synthetic surfaces constitute this.

Area-elastic surface A rigid, nonbending surface that yields gradually to pressure and can return energy, such as wood floors

Composite surface A surface with characteristics of both point and area elasticity, often a synthetic surface over wood

Resilience A floor's ability to bend or give; synthetic surfaces often have greater resiliency than wood.

Moisture content The weight of water contained in wood flooring, as a percentage of a kiln-dried sample

Sleeper system Wood flooring system where the wood strips are installed atop strips of wood studs

Panel system Wood flooring system where the wood strips are installed atop sheets of other material, often plywood

Anchored system Wood flooring system where the wood strips are installed atop sheets of other materials, often plywood, with 2-by-3 "sleepers" under the plywood

Acclimatization The process where wood flooring materials must sit in the facility for a number of days to adjust to moisture levels

Force reduction The ability of a sports floor to absorb the shock of impact, compared to a nonresilient floor

Ball rebound The percentage to which a ball bounced back to the height from which it is dropped, compared to a nonresilient floor such as concrete. Ball rebound, or bounce, should be at least 90 percent on a sports surface where basketball is being played.

Standard deformation The depth to which a floor indents under a load of weight

Deformation control The spread of a deformation, or the area it covers, when a floor indents under a load of weight

Sliding behavior The distance a floor can permit an athlete's foot to turn or purposely slide, while still preventing uncontrolled sliding. DIN standards require floors to have a sliding distance of 0. 4 to 0. 6 meters.

EDPM Ethylene propylene diene monomer, a type of synthetic rubber flooring that comes in granule form

SBR Styrene butadiene rubber, another granulized form of synthetic rubber

PVC Polyvinyl chloride, a common form of synthetic flooring that, yes, is the same stuff of which your plumbing pipes are made

Polypropylene Another form of plastic, often used for sports-flooring squares or tiles

Prefabricated sheet systems or sheet goods Synthetic flooring manufactured off site and delivered in rolls or sheets

Cast in place systems Synthetic flooring systems created on site