Basketball standards, hoops and goals – what’s the difference?

I work for an online sportswear company that offers a wide variety of basketball apparel and equipment. So much so that potential customers are often confused about what to buy and what will ultimately fit their needs. The majority of the confusion concerns basketball standards, hoops, goals, and what each entails. Well, here’s the skinny on both of them.

Basketball Standard: Basketball standards are the most expensive of the bunch. It can be portable or stationary. When you think of a basketball standard, you should consider the type of basketball system used in the NBA or off the court. Simply put, a basketball standard is the entire package – rim, backboard, net and pole.

Basketball Hoop: When little Johnny writes to Santa Claus telling him he wants a basketball hoop for Christmas, he means he wants the whole package. However, a basketball hoop isn’t the whole package. A basketball hoop is a combination of a rim, net and backboard, but without a shaft. Think of a high school gym. Yeah, you probably had a basketball standard in there somewhere that the basketball team probably used for real games. But you also had basketball hoops on the perimeter walls. That’s what a basketball hoop is – a rim, net and backboard that can be attached to an existing chassis.

Basketball Goal: This particular piece of equipment gets its name from its intended purpose. A word’s goal is something you strive for. In sports, the goal is usually where you score points. Well, the same applies to basketball. Target is just another name for an edge.

When buying sports equipment, it’s a good idea to know the difference between the different technical terms associated with each individual sport. If you don’t, you may inadvertently buy something you don’t want.