I work for an online sports accessories 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. Most of the confusion concerns basketball standards, hoops, and goals and what each entails. Well, here’s the skinny on each.

Standard Basketball – Standard basketballs are the most expensive of the bunch. They can be portable or fixed. When you think about the standard of basketball, you have to think about the type of basketball system that is used in the NBA or on the playground. Simply put, a basketball standard is the complete package: hoop, backboard, net, and post.

Basketball Hoop: When little Johnny writes to Santa Claus saying he wants a basketball hoop for Christmas, he means he wants the whole package. However, a basketball hoop is not the complete package. A basketball hoop is the combination of a hoop, a net, and a backboard, but not a post. Think about your high school gym. Yeah, he probably had a basketball standard somewhere that the basketball team probably used for actual games. But there were also basketball hoops on the surrounding walls. That’s what a basketball hoop is: a hoop, net, and backboard that can be attached to an existing structure.

Basketball Goal: The name of this particular team gets its name from its intended purpose. The word goal is something you strive for. In sports, the goal is often the place where points are scored. Well, the same is true in basketball. The target is just another name for the hoop.

When shopping for sports equipment, it’s good to know the difference between the various technical terms associated with each individual sport. If you don’t, you may inadvertently buy something you didn’t want.