A Microburst Of Mayhem ...

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Raymond

Can non-jumpers touch the ball before jumpers?

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

Depends on how long their arms are, and how true the toss is.

Yeah, I worded the question poorly.

Had a jump ball yesterday where B1 was much, much shorter than A1 and thought that he was definitely going to lose the jump ball so he backed up outside of the circle without even attempting to jump, figuring to act as a fifth "non-jumper" on his team to get the ball.

Trouble was, he backed out on my partner's (the tosser) whistle, before the ball was tossed, to become live.

Because the ball never became live, my partner called him back and warned him not to do it again which led to a reset and a normal jump ball.

What if B1 backed up outside of the circle after the toss, but before A1 had tapped (touched) the tossed ball?

Violation?

Jump ball had not ended as the ball had only been touched by a jumper, not a nonjumper, floor, or official.

Originally Posted by BillyMac

6-3-7-B: Neither jumper must: Leave the center restraining circle until the ball has been touched.

I say violation.

I've only seen the play once in forty-plus years.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

What if B1 backed up outside of the circle after the toss, but before A1 had tapped (touched) the tossed ball?

Violation?

Yes. Shouldn't even be a question.

I've had it a time or two -- and twice this year I've had non-jumpers run onto the circle (from off it) for a violation.

[Valley Man]

We have a team that puts all 4 girls in their soon to be front court. It caught me for a second thinking oh man they are going to attack! The jumper taps the ball back to herself. So then it caught me for a second oh crap .. then the ball bounced and she retrieved it and all was well in the world.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

Shouldn't even be a question.

Both my partner and I discussed a lot about possible "what if" situations.

What if the jumper who refused to jump backed up after the whistle, but before, during, or after the toss, and had stayed inside the jump ball circle until after the ball was tapped by the other jumper?

Or even basked up and stayed inside the circle before the whistle (as I believe that he did) and stayed inside the jump ball circle until after the ball was tapped by the other jumper?.

Legal.

While the gym yesterday had an "ancient times" smaller concentric circle inside the jump ball circle, I believe that this is now irrelevant and is no longer required, considered, or used by the current rules.

I believe that the old rule was that a jumper must have one foot inside that smaller concentric circle, but I forgot how long he was required to keep it there, maybe until after the toss?

We also discussed that had the nonjumping jumper's ploy worked (and was legal) he wouldn't be allowed to possess (grab) the ball (unless touched by a nonjumper, the floor, or an official), as he was still considered a jumper (however he could still legally tap the ball from outside the circle).

Odd play. Probably (and hopefully) never see it again.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

... the gym yesterday had an "ancient times" smaller concentric circle inside the jump ball circle ... now irrelevant and is no longer required, considered, or used by the current rules. I believe that the old rule was that a jumper must have one foot inside that smaller concentric circle, but I forgot how long he was required to keep it there, maybe until after the toss?

My books only go back to 1996-97, and the smaller concentric circle inside the jump ball circle wasn't in the 1996-97 rulebook.

Anybody accurately remember exactly why they were there, and when they disappeared?

How about it Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.?