Another back court question

[BSL]

Fellow Officials,
A situation I had happen tonight while officiating a basketball game that I thought I would ask the opinion of the professionals. Team A had control of the ball in their front court. A1 threw the ball to A2, but it goes over his head and hits directly on the 10 second (half court) line. After it hits and bounces in the air A3 jumps from the front court, grabs the ball, turns while in the air and throws the ball back to A2 in their front court before he lands in the back court. I did not call this a back court violation. I struggled a little bit finding this exact rule in the rules books. Can anyone please help me.

Thank you,
Brian S. Laffoon

[ken roberts]

Team A had control of the ball in their front court. A1 threw the ball to A2, but it goes over his head and hits directly on the 10 second (half court) line.

The ball is now in the backcourt (4-4-1 and 4-13-2).

After it hits and bounces in the air A3 jumps from the front court, grabs the ball,

Backcourt violation (9-9). Note that the way the rule is worded doesn't require that Team A or the ball actually be in the backcourt at the moment it is touched, rather that the ball simply "went to the backcourt".

[mick]

Ken,
I think ... you probably meant to imply that the ball must be in the back court for it to be a violation eventhough the rule didn't say specifically?
mick

[ken roberts]

Ken,
I think ... you probably meant to imply that the ball must be in the back court for it to be a violation eventhough the rule didn't say specifically?

Nope. I actually meant the opposite. Rule 9-9: "A player shall not be the first to touch a ball which is in team control after it has been in the frontcourt, if he or she or a teammate last touched or was touched by the ball in the frontcourt before it went to the backcourt."

So even if the ball goes to the backcourt and somehow re-attains frontcourt status without being touched, and then gets touched by Team A in the frontcourt, it will be a still violation since the play does fulfill the "went to the backcourt" criterion.

Of course, in 99.99+% of backcourt violations, the ball will have backcourt status when touched...i was just pointing out that it was possible to have a violation while the ball has frontcourt status...

[mick]

Ken,
Pardon this...,I'm not one for splitting hairs, but what if through some nasty act, a ball hit the line, and with reverse spin re-attained front court status by bouncing once in the front court and being recovered by Team A.
No violation, I think.
mick

[Mark Padgett]

Ken - actually saw this in a JV game I was watching while waiting for my varsity game to start. A1 in dribbling in frontcourt. B1 hits ball. Ball hits A1 in shoulder and deflects toward backcourt. Ball, while still in the air, hits official standing in backcourt and rebounds directly into frontcourt where it was touched by A1. Official calls over and back.

Try explaning that to the home coach in a screaming gym in a close game. Of course, for this JV game, the gym was nearly empty.

[ken roberts]

I'm not one for splitting hairs, but what if through some nasty act, a ball hit the line, and with reverse spin re-attained front court status by bouncing once in the front court and being recovered by Team A.
No violation, I think.

Yours and Mark's play is the exact scenario to which i'm referring. It is a violation as Team A last touched the ball before it "went to the backcourt" and Team A first touched the ball after it "went to the backcourt". Notice that Rule 9-9 (quoted above) doesn't stipulate that the ball have backcourt status when touched.

[mick]

Rule 4-4-2 :A ball which is in contact with a player is in the front court if neither the ball nor player is touching the bakcourt.

mick

[BSL]

Mick,
The rule you mentioned 4-4-2 was the first one that came to mind as the play was developing and I had to make a decision on whether to call it a back court violation. It sounds like Ken has a point. Even though A3 was still in front court position at the time of touching the ball he was the first to touch it after it was considered in the back court. Thank you everyone for your help and advice. I have officiated for 3 to 4 years where licensing was not required and just obtained my license this year to officiate more full time. Therefore I am somewhat new at this. I guess the way I look at it no question is a dumb question.

Thanks again,
BSL

[Buckley]

Let me add this scenario to perhaps clarify the situation. What would we call if A1, while in his frontcourt(ball having frontcourt status as well)dribbled the ball on the division line? I believe we would all call that a backcourt violation even though the player had frontcourt status. Just food for thought.

[mick]

Yeah, we would, if the player coninued dribbling and re-touched the ball while the ball had backcourt status.
We got off on a slight tangent above didn't we?
mick