Texas Tech v. Notre Dame dunk

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by SC Official

I don’t like the FED rule ...

I tried but I couldn't find a video, or a photo, but if one could have seen Virginia's Ralph Sampson dunk with a hand on the backboard in 1981, as I did, one would instantly know that this act gave him an enormous advantage, no question. Brigham Young's Danny Ainge thought Sampson's play was illegal (it was legal at the time), and complained so much that it cost him a technical foul.

Sampson would not have been able to complete that dunk without his hand pushing on the backboard and guiding him, so it was codified and definitely made illegal, by rule, and by intent and purpose.

But a simple, non-advantageous touch? Not so sure.

High school and college players touch the backboard and/or ring all the time. Sometimes it's illegal. Sometimes it's legal.

Ralph Sampson’s (Virginia 1979-1983, NBA 1983-1995) controversial basket against Brigham Young in the 1981 NCAA tournament prompted an NCAA rule change. The seven foot, four inch Virginia Cavalier All-American center dunked the ball with his free hand braced against the backboard. The basket led to a five point swing for Virginia which capitalized on a technical foul against Brigham Young's Danny Ainge who thought Sampson's play was illegal. Actually Sampson did nothing wrong since, at the time, there was no rule making this an illegal play. Since 1983 NFHS rules now state that it’s illegal for player to place a hand on the backboard, or the ring, to gain an advantage.