One in a million over and back

[Mark Padgett]

I'm posting this just to show that you never know when an obscure play will happen and you'd better be prepared for it.

Last Saturday, JV boys level - A1 has ball in frontcourt and team A is set up fairly high, so my partner (trail) is standing in backcourt by about 2 feet. The gym floor is smaller than standard, so this is the correct position. A1 attempts a pass to A2. A2 moves just as the pass is thrown and the ball hits my partner (who is still in backcourt). The ball caroms back into the frontcourt where it is grabbed by A1.

From the lead, I knew this was an over and back. My partner (a 12 year vet) didn't blow his whistle. I decided to let it go, since I thought maybe he saw a member of B touch the pass in frontcourt or something.

At the quarter, I asked him about it. After giving me his best Homer Simpson look for a moment, he admitted he blew it.

We both recited the fourth element of an over and back, which is that the team that was last to touch in frontcourt is the first to touch after the ball has been in the backcourt, not that the touch has to be in the backcourt.

Of course, neither one of us blew another call the entire weekend.

For those of you who are newbies, the first three elements of an over and back are:

1) there must be team control
2) the ball must have achieved frontcourt status
3) the team in team control must be last to touch the ball in frontcourt

And, of course, number four is listed above. If you have all four elements, you have an over and back. If you are missing even one of them, you don't. And yes - there is an exception on throwins.