Tripped Or Tripping ...

[BillyMac]

While there's still a difference between being tripped, and tripping, the NFHS will finally fully clear up a twenty-year old controversy, tripping over an opponent on the floor.

Thanks to the efforts of an IAABO Co-coordinator who is on the NFHS Rules Committee, new plays that clearly outline this concept will be added to the NFHS Casebook this season. IAABO has followed suit and added Play Situations 10-8 and 10-9 to the IAABO Rules Guide as well. IAABO now calls NFHS Casebook Plays "Play Situations".

PLAY 10-8: NEW A‑1 is dribbling and trips over B‑1 who is lying on the floor, causing A‑1 to fall to the floor and/or lose control of the ball. RULING: This is a blocking foul on B‑1. Lying on the playing court is not considered a legal position. If contact with an opponent who is lying on the floor inhibits freedom of movement or prevents the ability to perform normal offensive or defensive maneuvers, it is a foul.

PLAY 10-9: NEW A‑1 secures a rebound and trips over B‑1 who is lying on the floor, causing A‑1 to fall to the floor and/or lose control of the ball. RULING: This is a blocking foul on B‑1. Lying on the playing court is not considered a legal position. If contact with an opponent who is lying on the floor inhibits freedom of movement or prevents the ability to perform normal offensive or defensive maneuvers, it is a foul.

Old casebook play:

2004-05 NFHS Casebook: 10.6.1 Situation E: B1 attempts to steal the ball from stationary A1 who is holding the ball. B1 misses the ball and falls to the floor. In dribbling away, A1 contacts B1's leg, loses control of the ball and falls to the floor. Ruling: No infraction or foul has occurred and play continues. Unless B1 made an effort to trip or block A1, he/she is entitled to a position on the court even if it is momentarily lying on the floor after falling down.

4-23-1: Guarding is the act of legally placing the body in the path of an offensive opponent ... Every player is entitled to a spot on the playing court provided such player gets there first without illegally contacting an opponent. A player who extends an arm, shoulder, hip or leg into the path of an opponent is not considered to have a legal position if contact occurs.

4-37-3: Every player is entitled to a spot on the playing court, provided the player gets there first without illegally contacting an opponent.

10-7-1: A player must not hold, push, charge, trip or impede the progress of an opponent by extending arm(s), shoulder(s), hip(s) or knee(s), or by bending his/her body into other than a normal position; nor use any rough tactics.

The 10.6.1 Situation E interpretation disappeared from the casebook in 2005-06. No relevant rules have changed since this casebook play appeared in 2004-05, nor have any conflicting interpretations been published by the NFHS, until now.

Lindsey Atkinson, the NFHS rules editor for basketball, has stated (September 23, 2021) that as long as there are no relevant rule changes, or interpretation changes, to invalidate such, old vanished interpretations are still officially considered to be valid by the NFHS. She also stated that usual reason for still valid casebook plays to be dropped is due to page limitations, when a new caseplay goes in, one usually has to come out.

Now we finally have an interpretation change to hang our hat on.