We had a situation last night in a high school boys game where A1 was inbounding the ball under its own basket in the frontcourt. The inbound pass was thrown towards the half court line and A2 tapped the ball in the frontcourt and it went into the backcourt. When he went to the backcourt to retrieve the ball, my U2 called a backcourt violation. After the game, we discussed the play and, being the Referee, focused on wheter or not A had team control on a tap in the frontcourt. I usually do not call a backcourt violation. What do you guys think?

A "tap" is generally not control. See 4-dribbling-Note 2

I think that you are right.
The only question left unanswered is whether A2's "tap" constituted control. If so ~ violation. If not ~ no violation.

Blackhawk

The sad thing was that when he called backcourt nobody in the entire gym said a word. I knew he probably should have let it go, but, when we discussed it, my U2 said if he would not have called a backcourt the coaches would have been more upset than if he called one!!

Unless you'd consider the tap to be a dribble, it's not a backcourt violation. I try to give the benefit of the doubt towards playing on in situations like this. If I'm not sure he had control, I'm not making the call.

I kicked this one last year, and the coach was all over it. Coaches here know that you have to establish control before it can be called.

Adam

I think that I'd let my "U2" know that the path of least resistance isn't always right. Who cares which call would have made the coach more upset?

Personally, there is nothing wrong here with you getting together and asking what happened and if there was control.

Our goal is to get it right. Who cares if the coaches get upset. I would be more upset if I was a coach and the rule was kicked than over judgement. If I had a game tape I would send it in... you can see where this all goes.

Blackhawk
 

Shooter,

Where ya been? Haven't seen your moniker here since last season - how'd your state tournament games go?

Just because noone in the gym said anything doesn't make it right. By your description he "blew" the call. My question is -- did he know the rule??

You are right. Team control is required for a backcourt violation. That can't be established without player control. And player control is established when a player is holding or dribbling a live ball. So....tapping ain't player control, therefore no team control, therefore no backcourt violation.

....a live ball inbounds. A ball can be in a player's hands OOB and be live but there is no player control.