Crazy play
 

Bare with me on this one ... sent to me by a high school varsity coach asking what should have be done or if all was right!

Both teams lineup for the opening tip and Team A (from Alabama) controls the tip in their front court. Team A then dribbles to their back court towards the wrong basket and the official recognizes and calls a backcourt violation ...

Upon administering the throw in, the official points toward the wrong basket and awards Team B (from Georgia) the ball ... On the inbound play, Team B makes a three-point field goal at what turns out to be the wrong basket.

The officials then awarded Team A the three points and then gives Team B the ball going the other direction which turns out to be the proper direction.

Correctly done or not? Or what should have been done?

I say incorrect. In the spirit of Case Book 5.2.1 this is an officials error. Points should be scored for the proper team (B) and the officials should stop the game and ensure everyone knows the right baskets. Ball to A.

You got it right.

A bit unfair. (just a bit)
 

So if I am now team A and I know what time of day it is, and I am setting up a 2-3 zone defending the proper basket, I am now penalized because the referee is asleep and so is the other team, scoring an uncontested goal???

That's not what happened, is it?

If there's confusion on the part of the officials AND both teams, you score all baskets for the team that shot the ball and you turn the teams around and send them in the proper direction.

And had this been deemed confusion solely on the part of the B player who took the shot at the wrong end, it wouldn't be 3 points for A, only 2.

Why would it be only 2 ?

Because it isn't a try, it's a live ball passing through the basket.

Not a correctible error. Award two points to Team A (was not a try by definition). Team B gets to run the baseline on the ensuing throw in just like on any other made basket.

A shot at the wrong basket does not meet the definition of a try, therefore it cannot be a 3 point try. Therefore it only counts 2.

Along these same lines: A leads by 1 as time winds down. A1 throws the ball high into the air with 1 second left. Buzzer sounds, after which ball goes through B's basket. No points. Game over. A wins. Everybody associated with B has a fit.

Smitty08 ... following up your reply - would you then turn the teams around in the right direction or leave it be?

It appears that the conclusion is 2 points to Team A and Team B gets the ball.

Going same direction or switch them to be going the correct way ...

No thanks. I don't know you that well.


When the error is recognized, turn everyone around to be going the correct way. This might (usually does) mean taking the ball to the opposite endline and administering the throw-in.

That isn't the correct conclusion. If everyone - officials, Team A and Team B all were confused and playing at the wrong basket (B shooting at A's basket and A defending their own basket), then you award the points to B as if they were shooting at their own basket.

If right after the shot the error was noticed, the officials would whistle play dead, make sure everything was counted (3 points for B in this scenario), then inform everyone to switch baskets and take Team A to the opposite end line to inbound going the correct direction.

The only way it's 2 points to A in this scenario is if A was aware of the correct direction and didn't defend. Then you would award 2 points to A and give B the ball on the endline.

So, there is no conclusion on what should have done ...

I know for sure these officials were not ready for the game to start :)

Johnny R: Can you clarify your original post? After the backcourt violation and the official pointed in the wrong direction, what did all (A and B) players do? I think that is the key here. If everyone lined up as if they were going the right way and played normal offense and defense, than give B three points and turn them around to the correct direction. Do you know if this was the case in this game? Also, are you saying that the fact that one team was from GA and one was from AL had something to do with it?