[BillyMac]

IAABO Inside The Lines Volume #157

2025–26 IAABO Corrections And Clarifications

*Approved/Published by NFHS
**Approved correction (not yet published)

Despite the best efforts of the NFHS Basketball Rules Committee, one of the ongoing challenges following the approval of new rules each year is ensuring that every related reference in both the Rules Book and Case Book is updated accurately. Even with multiple levels of review, occasional inconsistencies and oversights can still occur. Once the NFHS publishes these changes, IAABO leaders must then interpret and integrate them into the IAABO Rules Guide, a process that can also present challenges. From time to time, we identify areas where revisions or clarifications are needed to ensure consistency across all publications. This article highlights the corrections and clarifications that have been identified and addresses several frequently asked questions that have surfaced as officials prepare for the upcoming season. Items marked with a single asterisk “*” have been posted on the NFHS website or addressed in a memo to state associations. Items marked with two asterisks “**” have been approved but not yet published. Any affected items appearing in IAABO publications will be corrected in the 2026–27 Handbook. Some of the items that are currently unpublished may be updated throughout the season and we will update this information as it become available.

Throw‐in Ending (4‐42‐5c, IAABO8:5:B.3,9:3:G.3)

IAABO Refresher Exam #17

This question garnered quite a bit of discussion this pre-season and had many Interpreters writing the IAABO office for clarification.

The question is stated as follows:

Team A is awarded the ball for a throw-in under the alternating-possession procedure. A-1’s throw-in is kicked by A-2. The official awards the ball to Team B and has the scorer turn the arrow toward Team B’s basket. Is the official correct?

If you were like many officials, you answered “yes”, believing that Team A committed a violation and therefore lost their turn when it came to the alternating possession procedure.

The NFHS has rule 4-42 correctly outlined as follows:

The throw-in ends when:
a. The passed ball touches or is legally touched by another player inbounds.
b. The passed ball touches or is touched by another player out-of-bounds, except as in Rule 7-5-7.
c. The throw‐in team commits a throw‐in violation.

In this play, Team A committed a kicking violation (which is considered an illegal touching), so technically, Team A did not complete a throw-in and therefore retains the AP arrow.

Throw-in violations are covered in Rule 9-2, which would pertain to Rule 4-42-5c above. The kicking violation is covered in Rule 9-4.

The IAABO Rules Guide also has this rule correctly stated at 9:3:G.3 on page 117. Unfortunately, this rule is not correctly outlined in another location on the Rules Guide as follows:

** IAABO Rules Guide, Page110 ‐ 8:5:B.3B.

The AP throw-in ends when any of the following occur:

The ball contacts or is legally contacted by a player inbounds.

The ball contacts or is contacted by another player out of bounds.

The throw-in team xxxxxxxx commits a throw-in violation (4-42-5).