[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

A short course in English grammar.

The actual text of rule 10-4-3 is: "A player shall not: ...Grasp either basket at any time during the game except to prevent injury; dunk or stuff, or attempt to dunk or stuff a dead ball."

The phrase starting with "except to..." ends at the semicolon. Nothing after the semicolon is part of the exception. A separate thought begins with "dunk or stuff, ..."

Here is how a semicolon is used in writing.

1. Semicolons | Punctuation Rules - GrammarBook.com
   
   www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/semicolons.asp
   
   Use a semicolon in place of a period to separate two sentences where the conjunction has been left out.
   
   

You are misreading the text. You are including "dunk or stuff" as part of the exception to the prohibition on grasping the basket (which includes the ring). That is not correct. Preventing injury is the only exception. You should be reading the rule as two separate prohibitions on players as follows.

1. A player shall not grasp either basket at any time during the game except to prevent injury.

2. A player shall not dunk or stuff, or attempt to dunk or stuff a dead ball.

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NevadaRef:

Thank you. I could not have said it better or as concisely as you did.

MTD, Sr.