NFHS Update

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

It appears that they clearly used similar language from the NCAA in this rules change. You keep going back to some older interpretation that may or may not still apply ... All reasonable signs point towards an NCAA change.

Similar language was the word "deflection" (a common word in the game of basketball).

I agree that the word is used in the NCAA version of the backcourt rule, and that may be a reasonable sign that the NFHS is going in a direction further than that indicated in the press release.

But the word was also used in the bitterly criticized NFHS interpretation, also a reasonable sign that the NFHS just wants to fix a broken interpretation (which, by the way, is also mentioned in the press release).

Older? The NFHS, just last year, doubled down on that bitterly criticized interpretation, making it less than a year old.

We've seen the new backcourt rule language in its entirety. Backcourt is not going to be a Point of Emphasis. The press release stated that the change was to clarify an "inconsistency in interpretation". That's what I'm basing my opinion on. Are those not reasonable signs (I've offered that your side may also be based on reasonable signs)?

I seriously doubt that the NFHS can move to the NCAA version of the backcourt deflection rule without any additional change in the new rule language. An editorial change (which we haven't yet seen), on its own, won't do the trick (editorial changes are usually just minor changes). They wouldn't (or maybe they would, after all, it is the NFHS were discussing here) come up with an NCAA-type deflection backcourt annual interpretation without additional rule language changes (like the NCAA rule). It can happen, but I doubt that it will be this coming season.

I'm just happy that they (apparently) changed that horrible "simultaneous last to touch, first to touch" interpretation. I probably would have never ruled that in a game (if I did it would have taken all the game management skills that I have to keep a coach from being ejected, "But the defender deflected the ball into the backcourt".), but it really bothered me when the NFHS doubled down on it last year.