backboard

A backboard is a piece of equipment used for sports like basketball.

When we talk about a backboard, most people think of it as part of a basketball hoop. It's usually a rectangular board attached to the wall or a freestanding unit behind the hoop, where the net hangs from. The backboard serves several purposes - it provides support to the rim and the net, helps keep the ball in play by bouncing off its surface, and sometimes even has advertisements painted on it.