NFHS Past Interpretations Archive (2024-25 Added)

[Rich]

Publisher’s Note: The National Federation of State High School Associations is the only source of official high school interpretations. They do not set
aside nor modify any rule. They are made and published by the NFHS in response to situations presented.
Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff, Publisher, NFHS Publications © 2023

2023-24 NFHS Basketball Rules Book Corrections: (Underlining shows additions; strikethrough shows deletions.)

Page 58, 8-5-3 – By any player of the free-thrower's team from the out-of-bounds spot nearest the foul if the free throw is for an intentional personal foul or flagrant personal foul from: a. One of the four designated spots nearest the foul if the team retains possession in its frontcourt, or b. The out of bounds spot nearest the foul if the team retains possession in its backcourt.

Page 59, 9-1 PENALTIES 1c – If the violation occurs during a free throw for a flagrant personal foul or an intentional personal foul, the ball is awarded to the thrower’s team for a throw-in from the one of the four designated spots nearest the violation. out-of-bounds spot nearest the foul.

Page 61, 9-2 PENALTY: (Section 2) – Following a violation: a. If the opponent is awarded possession in its frontcourt, the throw-in will be at one of the four designated spots nearest the violation. b. If the opponent is awarded possession in its backcourt, the ball is awarded to the opponent for a throw-in will be at the original throw-in spot.

2023-25 NFHS Basketball Officials Manual Corrections: Page 172, NOTIFY COACH OF DISQUALIFIED PLAYER – When a player fouls out, the calling official is responsible for notifying the coach, having table personnel start the 20 15-second substitution clock and informing the player,…

2023-24 NFHS Basketball Case Book Corrections: (Underlining shows additions; strikethrough shows deletions.)

Page 63, 8.6.2 SITUATION A – RULING:…Team B will be awarded the ball for a throw-in at one of the four designated spots nearest the foul if the foul took place in Team B’s frontcourt or the out-of-bounds spot nearest to where A2’s foul occurred if in the backcourt.

Page 65, 9.1.2 SITUATION B: A1 is shooting the first second of a bonus free-throw situation…

Page 66, 9.1.3 SITUATION E – RULING:…the ball is awarded to Team A at one of the two designated end line spots nearest to the out-of-bounds spot nearest to where the foul occurred.

SITUATION 1: Team A has an alternating possession throw-in at the division line to start the second quarter. (A) Team A commits a violation by taking longer than five seconds to release the ball, (b) A2 commits a common foul in Team A's backcourt near the free throw line before the bonus is in effect. RULING: In (a) Team B is awarded a division line throw-in and in (b) Team B is awarded a throw-in from one of the designated spots closest to where the foul was committed. COMMENT: A throw-in violation that occurs during a division line throw-in remains at the division line. When a foul occurs during a division line throw-in the spot of the in-bound will be based on where the foul occurred. (5-4-2, 7-5-3a, 7-5-4)

SITUATION 2: Team A has possession of the ball in its frontcourt when the ball is deflected out of bounds by Team B. The ball exits the court along the end line close to the right sideline. Team A is granted an inbounds at the location where the ball exited the court. While Team A is trying to inbounds the ball, Team A calls a time-out. After the time-out, the inbounds spot (a) returns to the same spot; (b) moves to the designated spot 3 feet outside of the lane along the end line. RULING: (a) Correct procedure; (b) Incorrect procedure. COMMENT: Since the ball was not on the court, the time-out did not create a “stoppage in play” that would move the inbounds spot to one of the four designated spots. Play will continue from the inbounds spot established by the deflection of the ball by Team B. (7-5-2, 7-5-3a)

SITUATION 3: Team A has possession of the ball in its frontcourt when the ball is deflected out of bounds by Team B. The ball exits the court along the end line close to the right sideline. Team A is granted an inbounds at the location where the ball exited the court. While Team A is inbounding the ball, B1 (a) commits a common foul – the team’s third foul of the quarter; (b) intentionally kicks the ball as it is passed to A2. The throw-in location for (a) and (b) moves to the designated spot closest to where the foul/violation occurred. RULING: (a) and (b) correct procedure. COMMENT: Team A will retain possession in its frontcourt after a foul/ violation. The new throw-in location for Team A will be at one of the four designated spots nearest to the foul/violation. (7-5-2, 7-5-3a, 7-5-4)

SITUATION 4: An official administers a throw-in to Team A, when the throw-in should have been given to Team B. A1 inbounds the ball to A2 and A2 scores quickly before the officials realize their mistake. Before the ball is inbounded by Team B, the official stops play, communicates with the scorekeeper to remove the points scored, tells the timer to reset the clock to the time remaining when the throw-in was awarded to the wrong team and awards Team B a throw-in. RULING: Incorrect procedure. COMMENT: Once the ball is dead following the made basket by A2, no correction can be made. After the ball has been inbounded by the wrong team the correction has to be made before the ball becomes dead or before there is a change in possession. Play continues with Team B’s throw-in from the end line after the made basket by A2. (7-6-6)

SITUATION 5: An official administers a throw-in to Team A, when the throw-in should have been given to Team B. A1 inbounds the ball to A2 and (a) A2 attempts a try, and the official realizes their mistake and blows their whistles while the ball is in flight – the try is good; (b) A2 attempts a try and the official realizes their mistake and blows their whistle while the ball is in flight – the try is not good and Team A secures the rebound.  RULING: In (a) and (b) the status of the ball has changed and is no longer in Team A’s control while it is in flight. The mistake cannot be corrected. COMMENT: While the ball has not become dead or changed possession, the status of the ball has changed. Once the ball has changed status away from team control no correction can be made. In (a) the points are added to the team score for Team A and Team B will have the end line on the in-bound. In (b), regardless of which team gets the rebound, the ball is awarded based on the alternate possession arrow since there was no team control when the whistle was blown. The throw-in would take place at the nearest spot in the backcourt or one of the four spots in the frontcourt nearest the ball. If no whistle had been blown, play would continue without stoppage. (7-6-6)

SITUATION 6: An official administers a throw-in to Team A, when the throw-in should have been given to Team B. A1 inbounds the ball to A2 and B2 knocks the ball loose. While the ball is loose, the official recognizes their mistake, whistles and awards the ball to Team B for a throw-in from the same spot. RULING: Correct procedure. COMMENT: A loose ball does not change the status of the ball as it is still in Team A’s control. The mistake can be corrected until the status of the ball changes. The clock should be reset to the time remaining when the throw-in was made by Team A. (7-6-6)

SITUATION 7: A1 takes off from inbounds, jumps over the end line, catches an errant pass and throws it back inbounds to teammate A2 in Team A’s frontcourt. A1 lands out of bounds and runs back onto the court and catches the first pass from A2. RULING: Legal. COMMENT: A player stepping out of bounds to make a play on the ball and then returning to the court has not left the court under the player’s own volition. The player left the court to make a play on the ball and is eligible to receive the first pass once inbounds position is established. (9-3-3)

SITUATION 8: B1 is defending A1 in Team A’s frontcourt. B1 runs out of bounds across the end line to avoid a screen set by A2. Upon returning to the court, B1 (a) intercepts a pass from A3 to A1; (b) touches the ball as it is passed from A3 to A1 before A1 retains possession for Team A. In both (a) and (b), B1 is the first player to touch the ball after returning to the playing court. RULING: (a) Out-of-bounds violation; (b) no violation. COMMENT: B1 left the court under the player’s own volition and became the first player to touch the ball after returning to the playing court. In (a), a violation is called due to the advantage gained by B1’s actions that resulted in Team B gaining possession. In (b), Team A retained possession after the touch by B1 – play continues with Team A in possession. (9-3-3)

SITUATION 9: A1, located in Team A’s frontcourt, passes the ball to A2. The ball strikes the division line and continues to A2, who is also in the frontcourt, without being touched by an opponent. RULING: Backcourt violation. COMMENT: The ball was in team control in the frontcourt and went to the backcourt when it contacted the division line and first touched by Team A. Since the violation occurred in Team A’s frontcourt, Team B is awarded a possession throw-in in its backcourt at the spot nearest the violation. (9-9-1, 9-9 PENALTY)

SITUATION 10: A1, while dribbling the ball in team A’s frontcourt, steps on but not over the division line. RULING: Backcourt violation. COMMENT: The ball was in team control in the frontcourt and went to the backcourt when A1 contacted the division line. Team B is awarded a possession throw-in in its frontcourt at one of the four designated spots nearest the violation. (9-9-1, 9-9 PENALTY)

[Rich]

Basketball Rules Interpretations - 2024-25
By NFHS on October 25, 2024

Publisher’s Note: The National Federation of State High School Associations is the only source of official high school interpretations. They do not set aside nor modify any rule. They are made and published by the NFHS in response to situations presented.

Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff, Publisher, NFHS Publications © 2024

2024-25 NFHS Basketball Case Book Corrections: (Underlining shows additions; strikethrough shows deletions.)

Page 5, 10.1.1 PEN SITUATION: ... No free throws are shot and neither coach loses both coaches lose the privilege of the coaching box.

Page 52, 6.4.1 SITUATION A:…B1, a designated starter, is discovered to be wearing an illegal jersey number,…

Page 54, 6.4.1 SITUATION F: RULING: The game will start with administration of the technical-foul free throws in the order in which the fouls were called. Team B shoots first followed by Team A. Team A will then be given the ball for a throw-in at the division line opposite the table. When the thrower of Team A is bounced the ball or it is placed at Team A’s disposal, the possession arrow will be set pointing toward Team B’s basket. (4-3, 7-5-6a) Each team is assessed a foul to count toward its team-foul count. The free throws for the technical fouls offset and the game will begin with a jump ball. Both head coaches do not lose the privilege of using the coaching box. No free throws are attempted, and the game begins with a jump ball. COMMENT: Because the technical fouls occur during pregame, in equal numbers, they offset. [10-1-1 PENALTY, 10-1-2 PENALTY, 10-2-7 PENALTY (NEW). 10-5-1 PENALTY (NEW)]

SITUATION 1 (ELECTRONIC DEVICES): An official observes a Team A team member wearing headphones during pregame or halftime warm-up. The official notifies the coach and the coach instructs the team member to remove the headphones for safety reasons. RULING: Correct procedure. COMMENT: Electronic devices may be utilized for the purposes of recording and tracking stats, reviewing or diagramming plays, or performing other similar contest-related functions. (1-19, 3-7)

SITUATION 2 (BLOOD): The official discovers a player from Team A has a bloody nose. The official directs the player to the bench and notifies the timer to start the 20-second timer. The bleeding is stopped or controlled within 20 seconds, the player is allowed to stay in the game and play is resumed at the point of interruption. RULING: Correct procedure. COMMENT: The player may return to the game if the bleeding is stopped, the wound is covered, the uniform and/or body is appropriately cleaned, and/or the uniform is changed before returning to competition within 20 seconds. The player may return to the game if a time-out is requested by, and granted to, the player’s team and the situation can be corrected by the end of the time-out, or the head coach chooses to substitute for the bleeding player, and is given the 15-second interval of time to make the substitution. (3-3-7)

SITUATION 3 (FAKING BEING FOULED): Offensive player, A1, is dribbling the ball and fakes being fouled by using a “head bob” to simulate illegal contact. When the official identifies behavior that rises to the level of faking being fouled, the whistle is blown and the faking the foul signal (New #15) is displayed. RULING: Correct procedure. COMMENT: First Infraction – Team A has control of the ball, so the official will report the warning to the table, notify the head coach, and the ball will be inbounded at the point of interruption (POI). If A1 was in Team A’s frontcourt, Team A would have a throw-in at one of the four designated spots closest to where the faking being foul occurred. If A1 was in Team A’s backcourt, the throw-in is from the spot out of bounds closest to where the faking being fouled occurred. Subsequent Infraction – A team technical foul is charged to Team A. Team B will shoot two free throws and is awarded the ball for a throw-in at the division line opposite the scorer’s table. (4-36- 2a, 4 49-1b, 10-2-1h, 10-2 PENALTY)

SITUATION 4 (FAKING BEING FOULED): Team B had previously been warned for faking being fouled. B1 attempts to draw a charge and the official rules that B1 was faking being fouled (second offense), the official gives the proper signal and allows play to continue so as not to penalize the offensive team. Prior to Team B gaining possession or the ball becoming dead, Team A commits a foul after the try while rebounding. Team B is not in the bonus. Team A shoots two free throws for the technical foul for the second flopping offense on Team B (team technical) and is awarded the ball at the division line opposite the scorer’s table. RULING: Correct procedure. COMMENT: When a technical foul for faking being fouled is called (meaning the second or more infraction), the penalty for that foul goes last in the order. While the official has “seen” and “signaled” for faking being fouled first, the whistle was withheld and thus the common foul by Team A is the reason the play was stopped. Since Team B is not in the bonus, Team B does not shoot free throws for Team A’s common foul. Team A shoots free throws for the faking being fouled technical and then is awarded the ball for a throw-in at the division line opposite the scorer’s table. (4-49)

SITUATION 5 (FAKING BEING FOULED): While guarding A1, who is dribbling in the frontcourt, B1 commits the team’s second faking being fouled of the game. The official gives the proper delayed violation signal and allows play to continue. A1 then commits a traveling violation. A team technical foul is charged to Team B. Team A will shoot two free throws and is awarded the ball for a division line throw-in opposite the scorer’s table. RULING: Correct procedure. COMMENT: Even though Team B was entitled to the throw-in as a result of the traveling violation, the technical foul and resulting penalties supersede A1’s violation. (4-49)

SITUATION 6 (CORRECTING A THROW-IN): The official administers the throw-in to the wrong team and the mistake is noticed and corrected within the time allowed. Time should be added back on the clock if the official has definite knowledge. RULING: Correct procedure. COMMENT: The ball should be put back to the original throw-in location to the “correct” team, and time should be added back on the clock with “definite” knowledge. (5-10-1, 7-6-6)

SITUATION 7: (PRE-GAME TECHNICAL FOULS): The head coach of Team A is charged with an unsporting direct technical foul during pregame and Team B is charged with team technical foul for dunking. The free throws for the technical fouls offset, each team is charged with a team foul, and the game starts with a jump ball. RULING: Correct procedure. COMMENT: Because there were technical fouls for each team and they were equal in number, they offset and no free throws are awarded. However, the head coach of Team A loses the use of the coaching box based on the unsporting technical. Because pregame dunking has moved from a bench technical to a team technical, the head coach of Team B does not lose the privilege of using the coaching box. (10-2-7, 10-2 PENALTY, 10-5-1, 10-5 PENALTY)