I was at my daughter's hs game the other night and ref called '5-sec closely guarded' violation in the backcourt. Game followed NYSPHSAA rules. This struck me as being called in error, but no one complained. I was sure, sitting there, that this was a front-court only violation, but then I figured maybe there was an exception for girl's hs ball since they don't have a 10-second time limit to cross the half-court line. Help! Did the ref ghave a brain cramp? Thanks in advance.

In high school girls basketball, National Federation Rules, there is a 10 second restriction in the backcourt. There should not be a closely guarded count in the backcourt. I believe this is differnet in NCAA rules where there is no 10 second count but there is a 5 second closely guarded count. Perhaps the official at your daughters game does both high school and college ball and lost track of the rules to be applied for this particular game.

I believe high school girls in NY state use NCAA Womens rules. Iow, the 5-second count does apply in the backcourt- but they use different parameters. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

I can tell you the rules here in Washington State. Because there is a shot clock for girls basketball, there is no 10-second backcourt count.

However, there <b>is</b> a 5-second closely guarded call (holding the ball only, not during a dribble) and it applies to <b>everywhere</b> on the court INCLUDING back court.

Z

Thanks...I think. I'll ask at tournament tonight if I can catch an official before the game. I have seen this same ref call both hs boys and university women as well as our hs girls. He may have been a tad confused, since at my daughter's game he was also doing the 10-sec count even though we don't use the time line here.

I guess there are different rules all over the country. In Massachusetts we use a 30 second shot clock with no 10 second rule and use the 5 second closely guarded rule only in the frontcourt.

David M...that's what I thought was going on here in NY. Does 5-sec closely guarded rule apply to girls dribbling ball? Or only holding ball? Is there a six foot max. distance rule?

Bellnier,

We use the FED 5 second closely guarded rule. Hold for 4.9, dribble for 4.9, hold for 4.9.

If they are using NCCAW rules, you can get a closely guarded count in the back court on a held ball and it 3 feet instead of 6. So he may have made a mistake. NFHS rules are only a 10 second count in the back court.

O.K....I asked the ref about 5-sec rule before last nights tournament. His response was that for NY Girls HS b-ball there is no 10-sec timeline (I knew that) and as such 5-sec rule for closely guarding applied to whole court, but only for a HELD ball; he said only hs boys get the 4.9-4.9-4.9 deal in the front court. He came across as very confident in his knowledge of the rules...then, half way through the game, he whistled my daughter for moving her pivot foot during an endline throw-in. Huh? I could swear that inbounder gets a 3-foot space along the endline and there is no pivot foot per se. (this call influenced the game---in a positive way!---it p.o.ed my daughter enough that she and her team went on a 12-zip run).