Straddling the division line

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by CJP

The key to understanding this is that the ball has to return to the BC status before A1 can touch it (this is the last 6 letters of the rule). If the ball still has FC status when A1 touches it then A1 was the last to touch it in the FC. Because he is standing in the BC, it is a violation.

No. That is not the key.

A is only prohibited from being the first to touch it in the backcourt (which they are) if and ONLY if A was the last to touch it with FC status BEFORE it returned to A in the backcourt. The key is the word BEFORE. A's touch in the backcourt can not be BEFORE A's touch in the backcourt.

The RULE:

ART. 1 . . . A player shall not be the first to touch the ball after it has been in team control in the frontcourt, if he/she or a teammate last touched or was touched by the ball in the frontcourt before it went to the backcourt.