I'm working trail and a ball comes into my area very quickly following a throw-in, is tipped to backcourt by the offensive team. At least it probably is the offensive team. I don't know how it got to my area. All I saw was the tip into backcourt. So I'm stuck. If I call backcourt, I'm guessing. I'm probably right, but I'm guessing. So I pass. What is a better way to handle this?

Easy, Ray. It's a no-call, and then if anyone complains, you say, "they didn't have control in the front court."

All I can think of is a quick wide-eyed look at a partner. :)
mick

The heart of the problem is that I don't know if they had control or not. If they got control and it was an errant skip pass, then I'm screwed. If they didn't have control, I'm okay. But I just don't know.

Perhaps I should pre-game the "look of sheer terror" with my partner :D

What's to call, the ball can be tipped by the throwing team into the back court on a throw in, it's not a violation.

I don't have to pre-game it. My partners just wait for it.
mick

So, you didn't see it any better than I? ;)
mick

I think he's saying that he wasn't sure if it was directly from the throwin or if an inbounds player caught the ball and immediately threw it that direction (where it was tipped).

This is where you parnter, who was covering the throwin/pass, should make that backcourt call. (I assume the ball was clearly in the backcourt) The lead would know where it came from.

I had something very similar happen once when I was lead. I didn't call it. I was being evalutated. The evaluator said I should have called it since I was the only one that would have had the information to make the call. The pass was from the lead's corner (where the passer was under pressure) to the top of the key where it went over the guards head and into the backcourt. I knew that A had control in the frontcourt. I knew that the pass was only touched by A. It went well into the backcourt. My partner didn't call anything since he had no idea who touched it in my corner.

Camron,

That's exactly what I was saying. Thank you for the answer. I guess I'll have to make this part of my pre-game from now on.

Camron,
Sounds real useable.
Thanks.
mick