Shot from Behind the Basket
 

Offensive player shoots the ball from behind the basket. A) Shot goes in. B) Shot misses. What is the correct ruling in both?

Is it legal for the ball to go over the backboard (in either direction)?

Ball is OOB if the backboard is rectangular, regardless if the shot is good or not.

And "play on" if the backboard is fan-shaped in both cases.

Right Down The Street ...
 

Event though the basket didn't count, this was still one of the most incredible shots ever made at the old Hartford Civic Center.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ebx61XuFGX8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Honestly, I had never seen this happen before. My partner and I talked about it at length after the game, and he was pretty sure it was OOB but not 100% and neither was I. Thanks to all of you for your feedback.

7-1-2b: "The ball is out of bounds . . . when it passes over a rectangular backboard."

Last night a three hit the rim, bounced on the top the rectangular back board and was rebounded before going out of bounds. Because it bounced on the top I had it still inbounds and playable. Was I wrong?

No but people will call it.

If it didn't go all the way over the backboard it's still in play. Think of a field goal try in football that doesn't go all the way through the goalposts, and is therefore not good.

Although, that analogy doesn't totally work, as the Browns had a field goal try hit the support bar on the other side of the goalposts and bounce back, and was deemed no good. So although it initially went all the way through, it didn't count.

So... ???

Depends. Did it hit the top and fall behind the board by going over the top, or did it come back down in front on on the side? If the ball went completely over the top to the other side, it is OOB even if it is caught before touching anything. But the top of the board itself is in play, so if it didn't go over it, the ball is in play.

*
7.1.2 SITUATION A:

The ball strikes the side edge or top edge of the backboard or passes over the top of the backboard and the ball: (a) came from a throw-in from behind the plane of the backboard; or (b) from a pass or try from the front or back of the plane of the backboard. The ball does not touch any supporting brace.

RULING: If a fan-shaped backboard is being used in (a) and in (b), the ball remains live. If a rectangular backboard is used in (a), the ball remains live after touching the side edge, but it is a violation if it passes directly over the backboard. In (b), the ball remains live if it touches a side edge or the top edge if it rebounds and comes down in front of the backboard. The ball becomes dead if it passes over the top of a rectangular backboard regardless of the action which causes it to pass over or whether it comes from the front or back of the plane.

I knew the rule and have applied it several times before.

In my area, most of the fan shaped backboards are relegated to elementary and middle school gyms. The fan shaped backboards are usually smaller in size.

Does anyone know what the rationale is behind the differing rules depending on the shape of the backboard?

Just curious.

My *guess* has always been that the nature of the fan shape makes rebounds go over the top far more often so it seemed silly to make that OOB. (BTW, fan shaped boards should *always* be smaller -- see the diagram in the book. The fan shape backboard has about half the front surface as the rectangle.)

I have to assume that you mean it hit the top and then continued over the top and was caught behind the backboard.

That would be OOB when it passes over the top of the backboard, assuming it was a rectangular backboard.