The Most Misunderstood NFHS Basketball Rules ...

[BillyMac]

High school basketball rules are often misunderstood by coaches, players, parents, and fans. Officiate basketball games long enough and officials will hear dozens of erroneous comments from players, coaches, parents, and fans, and think to themselves, “I wish I could stop the game and explain the real rule to them".

For example. A player is dribbling the ball in the backcourt and a fan is yelling, "Three seconds". Or, a player is inbounding the ball and a parent yells, "He's stepping on the boundary line". Officials often want to sound the whistle, stop the game, and say, "There can't be a three second violation until the ball is in the frontcourt", or, "The player can step on the line, but not over the line onto the court".

Knowing these rule misconceptions in advance can help basketball officials understand where players, coaches, parents, and fans, are “coming from”. Rookie basketball officials can benefit from this article by clearing up any misconceptions that they might have had coming into basketball officiating after years of being a player, or a fan.

Here are the “real” rules often misunderstood by coaches, players, parents, and fans, and, yes, basketball officials:

I developed this list over the past forty years, officiating thousands of basketball games. I first used this list back in 2005, for a presentation that I was making to a college level basketball coaching class after I was asked to give a lecture on the most misunderstood basketball rules. The list has evolved many times over the years.

[BillyMac]

I struggle with the wording, and legal rationales, of this paragraph every year, often thinking about discarding it completely.

Originally Posted by BillyMac

... When an airborne player keeps control of an attempted shot that is blocked, is unable to release the ball, and returns to the floor with it, that player has not traveled; it is a held ball. If, in a similar situation, the defender simply touches the ball, the airborne shooter maintains control of the ball, chooses not to release the ball, and returns to the floor holding the ball, it’s a traveling violation. If, in another similar situation, the shooter loses control of the ball because of the block, then this is simply a blocked shot. It is not a violation for that player to start a dribble at that point. When an airborne player tries for goal, sees that the try will be blocked, purposely drops the ball, and touches the ball after it hits the floor, that player has traveled by starting a dribble with the pivot foot off the floor. When an airborne shooter fumbles the ball (while still in the air) instead of releasing the ball on a try, drops the ball, and then returns to the floor and secures possession of the ball, it’s a traveling violation. Also in this situation, if the fumbled ball is touched by another player before the airborne shooter touches it, it’s not a violation for that player to take possession of the ball and that player can legally start a dribble.

Any suggestions for improvement?

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

I struggle with the wording, and legal rationales, of this paragraph every year, often thinking about discarding it completely.

I'm not even sure if this (below) is 100% correct? I'm not sure where I got this interpretation from, maybe an IAABO Make the Call video?

Originally Posted by BillyMac

... When an airborne shooter fumbles the ball (while still in the air) instead of releasing the ball on a try, drops the ball, and then returns to the floor and secures possession of the ball, it’s a traveling violation.

Can't one always legally pick up a fumble? Why does being airborne complicate this, if it actually does complicate this?

[Raymond]

Try the traveling rules for the answer to your question.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Raymond

Try the traveling rules for the answer to your question.

Because the airborne shooter had picked up his pivot foot?

So the old adage that one can always legally pick up a fumble is "just" an old adage and not fully rule based and isn't always true?

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

When an airborne shooter fumbles the ball (while still in the air) instead of releasing the ball on a try, (unintentionally) drops the ball, and then returns to the floor and secures possession of the ball, it’s a traveling violation.

Note: Unintentionally added for clarity.

I'm deleting the above statement, that was very recent addition to the list, and not fully peer reviewed.

While it may be true, if I can't explain it to a coach, I'm probably not calling it, and I'm definitively not putting this statement in writing for a list that's supposed to clear up misunderstood rules, not make them even more misunderstood.

Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue. (Proverbs 17:28)

If anybody can explain to me, in simple terms, that this statement is indeed factual, I'll be pleased to put it back on the list.

While there may indeed be exceptions to the old adage that one can always legally pick up a fumble, I am having a hard time understanding it in this situation.

4-21: A fumble is the accidental loss of player control when the ball unintentionally drops or slips from a player’s grasp.

4.15 Comment: It is not possible for a player to travel during a dribble. A player is not dribbling while slapping the ball during a jump, when a pass rebounds from his/her hand, when he/she fumbles, or when he/she bats a rebound or pass away from other players who are attempting to get it. The player is not in control under these conditions. It is a dribble when a player stands still and bounces the ball. It is not a dribble when a player stands still and holds the ball and touches it to the floor once or more than once.

4.15.4 Situation D: While dribbling: (a) A1 bats the ball over the head of an opponent, runs around the opponent, bats the ball to the floor and continues to dribble; (b) the ball bounces away but A1 is able to get to it and continues to dribble; (c) the ball hits A1’s foot and bounces away but A1 is able to overtake and pick it up; or (d) A1 fumbles the ball in ending the dribble so that A1 must run to recover it. Ruling: Violation in (a), because the ball was touched twice by A1’s hand(s) during a dribble, before it touched the floor. In (b), even though the dribble was interrupted it has not ended and A1 may continue the dribble. In (c), the dribble ended when A1 caught the ball; and it ended in (d) when it was fumbled. Even though the dribble has ended in (c) and (d), A1 may recover the ball but may not dribble again. (9-5)

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Note: Unintentionally added for clarity.

I'm deleting the above statement, that was very recent addition to the list, and not fully peer reviewed.

While it may be true, if I can't explain it to a coach, I'm probably not calling it, and I'm definitively not putting this statement in writing for a list that's supposed to clear up misunderstood rules, not make them even more misunderstood.

Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue. (Proverbs 17:28)

If anybody can explain to me, in simple terms, that this statement is indeed factual, I'll be pleased to put it back on the list.

While there may indeed be exceptions to the old adage that one can always legally pick up a fumble, I am having a hard time understanding it in this situation.

4-21: A fumble is the accidental loss of player control when the ball unintentionally drops or slips from a player’s grasp.

The traveling rules state that foot movement not described as legal is illegal (quite the opposite of other rules where anything not listed as illegal is presumed to be legal). The rules then say that a player jumps while holding the ball only has 2 legal options...shoot or pass....before returning to the floor. The fact that they jumped while holding the ball has committed said player to one of those two actions....their options are set when they jump. Landing and picking up the ball is not one of the available options.