POI and Referee Magazine case play
 

This month's RM the final basketball case play involves a double foul during a long pass. Obviously the resumption is from POI. However, they make this statement: A ball that is in flight retains the same location as when it was last in contact with a player. Since the ball was in flight when the double foul occurred, the point of interruption is considered to b at the location where A1 threw the ball. Team A shall have a throw-in team A's backcourt nearest the A1's location.

My understanding has always been that the throw-in is from the spot OOB nearest where the ball was when the double foul occurred. In the case of a long pass, that might be quite a distance from the thrower.

Am I wrong? Or is this another RM gaffe?

The rule on ball location seems pretty clear. Just like for a person who is airborne. It is where it was until gets where it's going.

If the long pass is still airborne, then the ensuing throw-in would be from the spot closest to where the pass originated. If the pass bounced on the floor before the whistle, then the ensuing throw-in would be from the spot closest to where it bounced.

Can you cite a rule to back up that statement?

Rule 4-36-2(a) says that the POI is the "<i><b>spot nearest to where the ball was located WHEN the interruption occurred.</b></i> That completely contradicts your statement above. You...and the stoopid monkeysat RM.... want to take it to where the ball <b>WAS</b>.

Yes, 4-4-3. The ball IS wherever it last touched a player or the court.

There's a specific case play or interp (in the year the "POI" first appeared) that clarifies that "where the ball was located" is the same as "the spot the ball was last in contact with a player or the court" (or whatever the specific wording in rule 4-Ball Location is)."

IOW, you're wrong, fan boy.

Would this same on a violation? Let's say Team A is in the back court, A1 is the lane in the BC, official's count is at 9 and A1 throws a long airborne pass to someone in the front court. Ball is over the FC when the count hits 10, official has a violation. Are you putting the ball in play closest to where it was in the FC when the violation occurred or are you putting it in play on the baseline in Team B's FC?

Hee-hee-heee!! :D

The ball was still in the backcourt (or technically, "still had backcourt status"), right? That's why you blew the whistle for the violation.

Put the ball in play closest to where the violation occurred. In this case, the violation occurred at the spot where the passer released the ball. It might be near the endline, or it might be near midcourt. It's wherever the passer last touched the ball.

Thanks, Scrappy. Somehow I missed connecting those dots.

POI first appeared in the 2005-06 rulebook. In the 2005-06 casebook...at the very front...the following case play was detailed:

<u><b>7.5.9 SITUATION A;</b></u> A1 shoots and while the ball is in flight the officials call a double foul on post players A5 and B5. The try for goal is (a) successful or (b) unsuccessful.
<b><u>RULING:</u></b> In both (a) and (b), A5 and B5 are charged with personal fouls and play shall resume from the point of interruption. In (a) the goal shall count and team B is awarded a throw-in anywhere along the end line. In (b), since the point of interruption was an unsuccessful goal, the team entitled to the arrow <b>at the spot nearest to where the ball was located when the fouls occurred</b>.

In the current case book, we have:

<b><u>4.19.8 SITUATION E:</u></b> A1 has control of the ball in team A's frontcourt. Post players A5 and B5 are pushing each other in an attempt to gain a more advantageous position on the block while (a) A1 is dribbling the ball;(b) the ball is in the air on a pass from A1 to A2; or (c) the ball is in the air on an unsuccessful try for goal by A1.
<b><u>RULING</u></b> In (a) and (b), team A had control of the ball when the double foul occurred . and thus play will be resumed at the point of interruption. Team A will have a designated throw-in nearest <b>the location where the ball was located when the double foul occurred</b>. In (c), no team has control while a try for goal is in flight, and since the try was unsuccessful, there is no obvious point of interruption. Play will be resumed with a throw-in <b>nearest the location where the ball was located when the double foul occurred</b>. had the try been successful, the point of interruption for team B would have been a throw-in for Team B from anywhere along the end line.

Old 7.5.9SitA obviously was incorporated into 4.19.8SitE. Note that we are instructed to locate the throw-in at the closest spot to the ball when the whistle blew, not at the point of origin of a pass/shot. It doesn't say to take it back to where a pass originated from or was deflected, or to where a shot originated from either.

The ball goes to where it </b>IS</b> when you blow the whistle, nor where it <b>WAS</b>.

I couldn't find anything in my old books that says anything different.

JMCO, moderator man.

but wouldn't we consider the definition of ball location in 4-4-3 (last year's book) -- "a ball which is flight retains the same location as when it was last in contact with a player or the court"

Seems to me that means POI is where the pass originated from.

These rulings repeatedly use some form of "ball was located". There's a really neat entry in Rule 4 (Definitions), headed "Ball Location". I've already cited it for you. That tells you how to determine "where the ball was located". I'm not just making this up as I go along. I actually have a rule to back me up.

This is what happens when you skip your Metamucil in the morning. :)

sorry to just repeat what you already posted! I read this sitch earlier and just got around to adding my 2 cents without re-reading all the replies

Despite what the rule on ball location appears to say, I'm leaning towards agreeing with JR on this one. I believe the ball location rule is only talking about "general" location.....inbounds/out-of-bounds or backcourt/frontcourt. I don't believe it was ever intended to define precise "location". Status, not position.

Somehow I get the feeling that there is going to be a POE on the POI. JMHO!