The basketball hoop is an essential part of the equipment needed for one to play the popular game of basketball, along with a flat court and a basketball of course. The basketball hoop should be positioned 10ft up in the air and 4ft inside the baseline (which is the end line/boundary line at either end of the basketball court). In the men's game, the basketball hoops should officially be of size 7 which is 29.5 inches in circumference. The official women's size hoop is size 6 which is 28.5 inches in circumference. Despite these variations, it is very important that the basketball hoop is always 10ft from the ground as any slight change in height can drastically and adversely affect the shooting performance of the basketball players.

By putting the ball through the basketball hoop, a basketball player can score points for his or her team. The number of points he or she scores is dependant on the type of shot that has been scored. Three points are awarded for a shot outside of the three point boundary line and two points for a shot or dunk inside this boundary line. Basketball hoops in the professional game are usually made out of metal and are attached to a wooden or glass backboard.

A basketball net is attached to the bottom side of the basketball hoop to demonstrate that the basketball has been scored by slowing down its motion. Top players can perform 'slam dunks' on the basketball hoops by jumping with the ball towards the basketball hoop, scoring with it and then hanging in a celebratory style from the basketball hoop afterwards.

More basketball equipment: Basketball Net