Your Opinion Sought: "Strong Side"

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Matt S.

Ideally, strong side and ball side are one in the same.

Connecticut is still, for the most part, a two person state. While I’ve observed dozens of three person games, I’ve only worked two actual three person games, attended only one three person workshop, and worked a few three person scrimmages.

Keeping that in mind, here's my two cents.

Until Freddy's recent Forum post, I’ve only heard the term “strong side” as a basketball coach, not as an official. I coached middle school basketball for over twenty-five years and attended many coaching workshops, including those with college coach presenters, and the term “strong side” always meant the side of the court with the ball. The very first time I heard it we were instructed to imagine a string tied to one basket ring and stretched across the length of the court and tied to the other basket ring. If the ball was one side of this string, that was the “strong side”.

As a basketball official (99% two person) I’ve always been taught that the side of the court with the ball was called the “ball side”. The "string" is called the "basket line". In a two person game this was almost always in regard to the lead moving across the lane to help with matchups on the “ball side”.

That’s my Connecticut coaching and officiating (two person) side of story and I’m sticking to it.

I really can't offer anything else of value to Freddy's three person question, other than don't confuse coaching language with officiating language.