[bearclause]

Can't find an approved ruling in the current casebook.

A1 brings the ball into the front court and passes to A2. A2 leaps from the back court, catches the ball, and lands with both feet in the front court. I'm looking at the rules and can see two sections in the definition that seem to contradict each other. Is there a difference between the ball being in the front/back court and the player being in the front/back court? I'm getting the suspicion that 4-3-3-a is meant to apply to 10 second back court violations?

Rule 4 - Section 3
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.

Rule 4 - Section 46. Location of a Player
Art. 1. The location of a player (or non-player) is determined as being:
b. In the front court or back court.
Art. 2. When a player is in the air from a leap (except during a throw-in) or when a defensive player intercepts a ball while in the air, the player’s status with reference to these two situations shall be the same as at the time the player was last in contact with the floor or an extension of the floor, such as a bleacher.

Rule 9 - Section 12. Ball in Back Court
Art. 1. A player shall not be the first to touch the ball in his or her back court (with any part of his or her body, voluntarily or involuntarily) when the ball came from the front court while the player’s team was in team control and the player or a teammate caused the ball to go into the back court.