In a V game, A1 went in for a layup when B1 jumped and blocked the ball against the backboard. The ball did not touch the backboard until B1 pinned it there on the block. Is this goaltending or a legal block? Also, on more than one occasion, players were slapping the backboard on missed block attempts, some pretty loud and hard. Could goaltending have been called on the missed shots?

No-call on the first play. As long as B hits the ball before it hits backboard he's ok. Player can hit backboard as a follow-thru of norman blocking attempt. If the slapping of the backboard is deliberate (showing-off) it's a tech.

TOM you are right and wrong at the same time. Yes there is no call in the above post, but you said as long as teh ball had not touched the backboard first. This statement is wrong, only in the NBA is this not allowed. In NCAA and NFHS can you block a shot after it hits the board...if it is not in the cylinder, or on a downward flight.

Right on, Dennis. It doesn't happen very often, but that's still a big misconception. Most folks believe if you touch the ball after it hits the backboard, it's goaltending, but they key is whether it was on its downward flight or not. As far as the goaltending question, we've addressed this quite a bit recently in other posts, but it is NEVER goaltending or basket interference for slapping the backboard. If you call a "T," it is separate from the question of whether the ball did or would have gone in.

This misconceptioin rolls on as I heard a color commentator, don't remember which one, say during a game, "That should have been goal tending, it had already touched the backboard." The ball was still on its way up. Good call by the officials.