Over the Back

[BillyMac]

Over the back is not a foul. There must be illegal contact to have a foul. A taller player may often be able to get a rebound over a shorter player, even if the shorter player has good rebounding position. If the shorter player is displaced, then a pushing foul must be called. A rebounding player, with an inside position, while boxing out, is not allowed to push back, or displace, an opponent, which is a pushing foul.

Things Officials Should Probably Not Be Saying In A Game

Calvin Coolidge once said, "The things I did not say never hurt me." Of course, he was not talking about basketball, but many officials would be smart to heed his sage advice as they communicate with coaches, and players.

Good communication skills are important tools to have on any official’s tool belt. Good communication with a partner, with a player, or with a coach, can go a long way to maintaining control of the game, having good game management, and having a smooth game. Sometimes this communication takes place in oral form, talking to players, or coaches, in some cases to explain a ruling, or in other cases to prevent a violation, or a foul. However, probably for reasons of tradition, there have been things that officials often, or sometimes, say during a game that do not have any basis in the rules, and should probably not be said in a game. This article will cover some of those “best left unsaid” statements.

"Over the back", reported by an official to the table on a rebounding foul, is, in reality, probably a pushing foul. Over the back is not necessarily a foul. There must be illegal contact to have a foul. A taller player may often be able to get a rebound over a shorter player, even if the shorter player has good rebounding position. If the shorter player is displaced, then a pushing foul must be called, and this should be reported to the table as such.

Finally, a thought by social commentator Will Rogers, “Never miss a good chance to shut up.”

[Nevadaref]

Welcome to middle school basketball. The refs who handle those games generally are not the top people in the area. Of course, some are excellent, but many are whoever is available in the early afternoon.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

Welcome to middle school basketball. The refs who handle those games generally are not the top people in the area. Of course, some are excellent, but many are whoever is available in the early afternoon.

On behalf of the many excellent old-timer experienced veteran officials, retired-from-day-jobs, available in the mid-afternoon, some challenged with chronic old-age orthopedic problems, but who march-on because they love basketball officiating, and are needed by their local assigner to fill those difficult-to-fill mid-afternoon middle school assignments, I thank Nevadaref for his recognition.

I worked a middle school game this past season with a fifty-plus-year officiating veteran who is still doing some varsity games. Those middle school kids got a total of more than ninety years of basketball officiating experience working their game that afternoon. Not too shabby for a middle school game.