2018,19 NFHS Rules Interpretations
 

Basketball Rules Interpretations - 2018-19
October 10, 2018

Publisher’s Note: The National Federation of State High School Associations is the only source of official high school interpretations. They do not set aside nor modify any rule. They are made and published by the NFHS in response to situations presented.

Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff, Publisher, NFHS Publications © 2018

SITUATION 1: A1 is dribbling the ball in frontcourt near the division line when B1 taps the ball away. The ball rolls into the backcourt where A2 is standing. A2 picks up the ball while in backcourt and starts a dribble. RULING: Legal play. The ball rolling on the floor when it crosses the division line has backcourt status; therefore, either the offense or the defense can recover the ball. (9-9-1 EXCEPTION)

SITUATION 2: A1 is straddling the division line when the ball is deflected by B1 into the backcourt. A1 is able to reach out and take possession of the ball while still straddling the division line. RULING: Legal. A1 is in the backcourt and maintains that status when she takes possession of the deflected ball. Because A1 is in the backcourt, the official must start a 10-second count and maintain the count as long as the player is in the backcourt and in possession of the ball. (9-9-1)

SITUATION 3: A1 throws a ball from the sideline, near the division line. A2 catches the ball while straddling the division line, fumbles the ball into the frontcourt and recovers the ball with one foot still in the backcourt. RULING: Violation by A2. While in player and team control in backcourt, a player shall not cause the ball to go from backcourt to frontcourt and return to backcourt, without the ball touching a player in the frontcourt, such that he or a teammate is the first to touch it in the backcourt. (4-21, 9-9-2)

SITUATION 4: Players scramble for the ball with A1 touching the ball and the boundary line. RULING: A1 has created a violation by touching the boundary line and the ball at the same time, causing the ball to be out-of-bounds. Team B shall be given the ball at the spot nearest to the violation. (7-1- 1, 7-1-2, 7-2-2, 9-3-1)

SITUATION 5: The ball is thrown from Team A’s own end line on a throw-in towards the division line. Offensive player A1 deflects the ball into the backcourt. RULING: The ball may be recovered in backcourt by the offensive team without creating a violation. (9-9-1)

SITUATION 6: A1 has tucked the bottom of his/her shorts into the tights being worn. RULING: Illegal. The referee shall not allow the player to enter the game or direct the player to leave the game until the shorts are removed from inside the tights. After making the correction, the player may re-enter the game at the appropriate time for a substitution. The uniform should be worn as the manufacturer intended it to be. (3-5-5)

SITUATION 7: Substitute A6 reports to enter the game to replace A1. A5, already in the game, is wearing a beige compression sleeve on her/his arm and leg. A6 is wearing a black headband and wristbands. RULING: A6 is not allowed to enter because the rule requires all teammates to wear the same allowable color sleeves, headbands and wristbands. No penalty is involved. A6 simply cannot participate until the color restrictions are corrected. (3-5-3)

SITUATION 8: A loose ball is on the floor and A1 dives onto the floor and secures the ball while on her/his stomach. A1 then (a) rolls over, sits up and passes the ball; (b) while on her/his stomach passes the ball to a teammate. RULING: Illegal in (a) to roll over from the stomach; (b) legal action for the ball to be passed from that position. (4-44-5b)

SITUATION 9: During warm-ups, the officials notice that some players have rolled the waistband on their shorts. What actions should be taken by the officials, if any, at this time? RULING: During the warm-up period, the referee should notify the coach of the infractions and ask that they be corrected immediately. If the corrections are not made and players attempt to enter the game with rolled waistbands, those players should not be allowed to enter the game prior to correcting the issue. If player(s) in the game have rolled waistband(s), they shall be directed to leave the game and may not re-enter until the next opportunity to substitute. No penalty is involved. The game should not be held-up to allow for the correction. (3-3-5, 3-5-5)

SITUATION 10: The ball supplied by the home team does not meet the description of a ball with a deeply-pebbled, granulated surface and does not have the NFHS Authenticating Mark applied. RULING: The referee shall make the decision on whether the ball meets the specifications to be used for the contest. The referee may select a ball that meets the specifications, even if it is one from the visiting team. (1- 12-1c)

RE 9--players can't roll their waist bands? Is that new? It seems to me with modern shorts most players roll them so they fit better.

Rule 3-4-5 forbade rolled down waistbands if they exposed an additional logo.

Some states exercised 3-5-5 to ban the practice: "...apparel shall...be worn in the manner the manufacturer intend to be worn."

This Interpretation, if honored by our state and communicated to all coaches and officials, will make things so much easier for us.

SITUATION 1: A1 is dribbling the ball in frontcourt near the division line when B1 taps the ball away. The ball rolls into the backcourt where A2 is standing. A2 picks up the ball while in backcourt and starts a dribble. RULING: Legal play. The ball rolling on the floor when it crosses the division line has backcourt status; therefore, either the offense or the defense can recover the ball. (9-9-1 EXCEPTION)

This has never been a backcourt violation. We didn't need an interp on this play. Write an interp this year for the scenario which the new exception reverses the previous NFHS ruling! Silly monkeys.

SITUATION 2: A1 is straddling the division line when the ball is deflected by B1 into the backcourt. A1 is able to reach out and take possession of the ball while still straddling the division line. RULING: Legal. A1 is in the backcourt and maintains that status when she takes possession of the deflected ball. Because A1 is in the backcourt, the official must start a 10-second count and maintain the count as long as the player is in the backcourt and in possession of the ball. (9-9-1)

Actually, the official should have been counting a 10-second backcourt count the entire play! The ball had backcourt status during this whole sequence. Silly monkeys.

SITUATION 3: A1 throws a ball from the sideline, near the division line.

So, this is from out of bounds during a throw-in? Thanks for being clear.

SITUATION 8: A loose ball is on the floor and A1 dives onto the floor and secures the ball while on her/his stomach. A1 then (a) rolls over, sits up and passes the ball; (b) while on her/his stomach passes the ball to a teammate. RULING: Illegal in (a) to roll over from the stomach; (b) legal action for the ball to be passed from that position. (4-44-5b)

"her/his"...seriously? Is this a new PC thing? Had to be written by a woman.
Yep.
"Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff, Publisher, NFHS Publications © 2018"

Since when is player control required to continue the count? :rolleyes:

I disagree. B1 is presumably in the FC. When B1 deflects the ball, that gives the ball FC status. For that matter, does A1 even have the ball or had A1 passed it?

Physician, Heal Thyself (Luke 4:23) ...
 

Agree. It took me a few seconds to figure if this was a throwin, or not. Why not just say "from a throwin"? Some of the other questions could have been written in a clearer manner. I guess Dr. Niehoff went to a medical school that didn't teach how to describe situations in a clear manner. She should stick to her day job of administering flu shots and listen to the fans in the bleachers yelling "Don't quit your day job".

So what are you complaining about, the use of "his/her", the use of "her", or that it was written by a woman? Jeez, some folks find any little thing to complain about. :rolleyes:

Boys Will Be Boys ...
 

The NFHS starting using his/her many years ago, after Title IX fully kicked in. I've never liked it. It breaks the flow of the sentence. Each interpretation is about a specific situation. Why not make some for male players, and others for female players? Half of the interpretations, rules, test questions, etc., should have he or his, and the other half should have she or her.

Are officials so stupid that a NFHS statement about boys would lead us to believe that it wouldn't be the same for girls, and vice versa (exception for ball size)?

English does not have a gender-neutral third person singular pronoun. That causes the problem.

It's why so many now use "they" (or "their") -- and I find that more problematic than his / her or s/he

When I (and most of us, I assume) was in grade school, I was always taught to default to "he/him/his" when gender was indefinite.

How times have changed.

My complaint is not with writing his/her, but rather the deliberate reversing of it to "her/his" by this author in order to specifically put the female pronoun first. That seems to be an attempt to push a feminist agenda through the language used in the NFHS play rulings, which strikes me as petty and inappropriate.

Thank you for offering your take on this. I didn't picture A1 as not having the ball when I read the interp. I like your way of visualizing the scenario.

This is the time I would like to insert the meme from "Swaggy P" with the "What???" look in order to show my reaction to this post.

Peace

Straight Man ...
 

C'mon Mark Padgett. This was a softball. I teed it up for you. I thought, for sure, that you would hit this out of the park. Are you losing your touch?