I have to share this. Game tied 52-52, and 4 seconds left on the clock. Guest team dribbles down to own basket, throws up a prayer, ball flies OB. I hold my whistle thinking the clock would run out, but blow it OB when ball touches the floor. Remarkably, clock shows .1 seconds left. Home team tries to send the ball the length of the floor for a desparation tap. Home player throws the ball with a high arc and it hits the partition that separates the court. Guest team has a throw in under the basket. Guest team calls a timeout to set up a play to tap in basket. On the throw in, the ball completly misses guest player, and I think the game is over. However, home team player trying to tap the ball away from the basket, taps the ball into guest teams basket! He didn't catch it, he actually pushed it off his fingertips! I thought for sure we were going to overtime. Nevertheless, I counted the basket and my partner and I got the heck out of there. Has that ever happened to anyone else?

Had situation close to this happen, but ball did not go in. In your case, unless the ball was in the basket before time ran out (and I don't see how it could have with .1 sec), the basket should not have counted. Not a try, so dead when buzzer sounds.

Seriously, we blew that call? We searched the rule book, and determined that the ball is live after the tap and a legal play. Do you have a reference for this saying the ball has to go in before time expires? That makes me sick to my stomach to blow that call.

Don't have books with me, but there have been other discussions here and other boards about shots at the opponent's basket. It is not considered a try or attempt, so all the rules about taps and continuous motion etc do not apply. It is simply when the buzzer sounds, the ball is dead.

I think I must agree! NO BASKET!

If there is any solace to the situation, Kspann, I doubt it if the losing coach knew this rule. Just remember for next time!

So let me get this straight! I've always known that with .03 left on the clock you can only have a tap, not a try, but with anything less than .03 the game is basically over?

No, if the tap was at his <b>own</b> basket it would have been good.

But, since it was at the other basket, it cannot be a try, so the ball dies with the horn.

No different than if he threw it up in the air to let time expire.

[Edited by Brian Watson on Jan 24th, 2001 at 10:39 AM]

It sounds crazy, but by definition you cannot have a tap or try at your opponents basket, so anything that stops play such as a violation or time expiring also stops the "shot" from counting. Try explaining that to the coach who thinks he just won on a fluke!!!!! What if it had been a one point game and so that determined the winner and loser?!

That is where your people skills and knowledge of the rules come into play.

Man, I sure do feel bad that we didn't get this right! I tried to find the earlier references to the tap in the message board archives. Does anyone have a rulebook reference to this mishap?

Thanks,KS

I think it is in the definitions, what is that rule 4?

First of all, check out the Definitions section of the Rules book, as Brian said (4-40-2). Then check out the Casebook, play 4.39.2 (in last year's book, anyway), which talks about throwing the ball at the wrong basket and being fouled in the process. Ruling is: no goal, because the ball became dead when the foul occurred. This would be the same for that final "tap" toward the wrong basket.

I agree with majority.
 

Yup!
mick

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Paul LeBoutillier

Quote:

So let me get this straight! I've always known that with .03 left on the clock you can only have a tap, not a try, but with anything less than .03 the game is basically over?

I answered my own question:

ART. 5 . . . When play is resumed with a throw-in or free throw and 3/10 (.3) of a second or less remains on the clock, no field goal may be scored by a try for goal. In this situation a tap could score.

This play is a little differnet but it applies. In the case book 6.7.6A. Play: A1 passes the ball to A2. However, A2 is not looking. The ball strikes A2 on the back of the head, and then goes directly above the basket of Team A. The ball is on the ring when time expires and subsequently it enters the basket. RULING: No goal. The ball rebounding from A2's head is not considered a try or tap. A try or tap is made with the hand(s). In this situation, since it was not a try or tap, the ball became dead immediately when time expired.