PPNRecruiting and placement come with a lot of jargon. This glossary explains the terms you'll meet most often so nothing catches you off guard. For the bigger picture, start with how to get scouted and levels explained.
- Verbal commitment
- A non-binding agreement between a player and a program before any formal paperwork is signed. It can change.
- Eligibility
- Meeting the academic and amateurism standards required to play at a given level (NCAA, NJCAA, NAIA). Rules change — always confirm with the governing body.
- Redshirt
- A season a player sits out of competition (often to develop or recover) without using a year of playing eligibility.
- Walk-on
- A player who joins a college team without an athletic scholarship. Some later earn one.
- Full vs partial scholarship
- A full scholarship covers the major costs of attendance; a partial (equivalency) covers a portion, common at many levels.
- JUCO
- Junior college (two-year, NJCAA) — a development and transfer route to four-year programs. See levels explained.
- Showcase
- An event where players perform in front of evaluators, scouts or coaches. Prepare with the tryouts & showcases guide.
- Combine
- A measured event with drills and testing (plus scrimmages) used to evaluate and compare players.
- Film / highlight reel
- Edited video of your best plays, plus full-game footage. See how to make a highlight reel.
- Verified profile
- A profile whose details have been checked so agents, scouts and teams can trust the information. On PPN Sports, verification levels increase your visibility.
- Represented / unrepresented
- Whether a player currently has an agent. See how to get a basketball agent.
- PPG / RPG / APG
- Points, rebounds and assists per game — baseline production stats.
- FG% / 3P% / FT%
- Field-goal, three-point and free-throw shooting percentages — efficiency indicators.
- eFG% / TS%
- Effective field-goal and true shooting percentage — efficiency measures that account for threes and free throws. See stats that matter.
- Assist-to-turnover ratio
- Assists divided by turnovers — a key decision-making stat for guards.
- Stretch big
- A power forward or center who can shoot from the perimeter, spacing the floor.
- 3-and-D
- A player valued for three-point shooting and defense — highly sought at every level.
- Pay-to-play
- Schemes that charge athletes for “exposure” or promised opportunities. PPN Sports is not pay-to-play.