Basketball rules question...

[Aces McGee]

[ QUOTE ]
The ref may or may not actually call this, but it is technically backcourt. The player in the air has not established himself as a backcourt player yet, so he cannot catch the ball and land in the backcourt. His feet must first touch backcourt for it to not be a violation.

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you have a citation of authority for this? I understand this concept as it applies to a player coming from the backcourt to the front court (and from out of bounds to inbounds). But my understanding of backcourt is that both players feet and the ball must cross midcourt for the offense to establish possession in the frontcourt, thereby making a backcourt violation possible.

So, in your example, while the player receiving the ball may technically be in the frontcourt since he hasn't established his feet in the backcourt, the ball still hasn't crossed midcourt. Therefore, no violation.

But I'll listen to you if you can tell me why I'm wrong.

-Mcgee

[theTourne]

I strongly agree with Aces.

[theTourne]

This thread prompted me to check out the NCAA rules:

http://www.ncaa.org/library/rules/20...ball_rules.pdf

Here's a dribbling violation of which I wasn't aware. You cannot pass the ball to yourself off the backboard (situation A below).

"A.R. 13. A1 dribbles and comes to a stop, after which A1 throws the ball: (a) against the opponent’s backboard and catches the rebound; or (b) against the official, immediately recovering the ball and dribbling again. RULING: A1 has committed a violation in both (a) and (b). Throwing the ball against an opponent’s backboard or an official constitutes another dribble, provided that A1 is first to touch the ball after it strikes the official or the backboard."

[theTourne]

Here is the frontcourt/backcourt section. Nothing specifically mentions Tiburon's point, and it would appear to back up Aces' claim that possession needs to be established in the front court. I've always gone by the "2 feet and the ball rule," but apparently 1 foot and the ball is enough if you catch the ball straddling the line, as long as the second foot is not touching the backcourt (i.e., is in the air). Sorry about the formatting.


Section 28. Front Court/Back Court

Art. 1. A team’s front court shall consist of that part of the playing court between its end line and the nearer edge of the division line, including its basket and the inbounds part of its backboard.

Art. 2. A team’s back court consists of the rest of the playing court, including its opponent’s basket and inbounds part of the backboard and the division line, excluding the mathematical edge nearest the team’s basket.

Art. 3. A live ball is in the front court or back court of the team in control as follows:

a. A ball that is in contact with a player or with the playing court shall be in the back court when either the ball or the player (either player when the ball is touching more than one) is touching the back court. It shall be in the front court when neither the ball nor the player is touching the back court.

A.R. 22. As Team A advances the ball from its back court toward its front court, A1 passes the ball to A2. A2 catches the ball while both feet are on the playing court with one foot on either side of the division line. In this situation, either foot may be the pivot foot. (a) A2 lifts the foot that is in the back court and then puts it back on the floor in the back court; or (b) A2 lifts the foot that is in the front court, pivots and puts it on the floor in the back court. RULING: In (a), back-court violation. When A2, while holding the ball, lifts the foot that was in the back court, the ball is in the front court. When A2’s foot touches in the back court, it shall be a violation. In (b), when A2 lifts the foot that is in the front court and places it down in the back court, the location of the ball has not changed. The ball is still in the back court and no violation has occurred. (See Rule 4-28.2.)

b. A ball that is not in contact with a player or the playing court retains the same status as when it was last in contact with a player or the playing court.

c. During a dribble from back court to front court, the ball shall be in the front court when both feet of the dribbler and the ball touch the playing court entirely in the front court.

[Tiburon]

Maybe I'm wrong about the backcourt rule. What I said earlier is the rule I was always taught. Even if it isn't the official rule, I would recommend to anyone playing to establish your feet in the backcourt anyway as the ref may call backcourt even if it isn't the right call.