Backpedal

[NCAAREF]

Don't receommend doing it and never teach our rookies to do that. Guranteed one day you will tumble head over heels doing that.

[TwoDot]

NOT a good idea! I too used to do that until I tripped on one of the lines on the floor and ended up fracturing my wrist. I was out about 3 weeks. Much better to run forward and turn and watch players, hustling down to the baseline, then face play. Much faster that way to.

[BEAREF]

I did this my first year of officiating during a middle school game in a very small gym...less than two feet between the boundary line and the wall...my head made a lot of noise when it hit the wall...a big goose egg that took two days to get rid of. It was the last time that I used the backpedal.

[rainmaker]

Get wider so looking back isn't so uncomfortable. Also, get a little further in front and then if necessary turn body completely around at about the second free throw spot and WALK backward if necessary. That's only if play hesitates near the arc, or top of key, and you don't want to be TOO far ahead. DOesn't happen often.

[HawkeyeCubP]

You always want to 1) look athletic and 2) "move with a purpose" - backpeddling (unless you're a football defensive back) accomplishes neither. To the trained eye it just looks absolutely silly/horrible.

Then there's the whole "You'll do it until your first tumble" argument, which is what personally worked for me back in intramurals in college.