backcourt violation

[Scrapper1]

Originally Posted by PackersFTW

it's the same thing pretty much, except you are just walking or jogging.

And the part in red is what makes it not at all the same thing. When holding the ball, if any part of you or the ball is touching the backcourt, then you are in the backcourt. However, when dribbling from backcourt to froncourt, both feet and the ball must touch in the frontcourt in order for the ball to have frontcourt status. This distinction holds true in both NFHS and NCAA, and I would bet -- although I don't know for sure -- for the NBA, as well.

So, if you are holding the ball with your right foot in the frontcourt and your left foot in the backcourt, you are in the backcourt. You may pick up your right foot (you're still in the backcourt) and place it back down in the backcourt or the frontcourt with no penalty. Either way, you're still in the backcourt. The ball never achieved frontcourt status, so there can't be a backcourt violation. Now, if you're straddling the line again and you pick up your LEFT foot, you now have nothing touching in the backcourt so the ball now has frontcourt status. If you then put that foot back down in the backcourt, you have committed a violation.

By contrast, if you are dribbling the ball near midcourt and are straddling the division line with your right foot in the frontcourt and your left foot in the backcourt, you have a lot more flexibility. You can continue to dribble the ball in the backcourt and move your left foot into the frontcourt and back to the backcourt again with no violation. You can dribble the ball in the frontcourt (keeping your left foot in the backcourt) and then bring it back to the backcourt, with no violation. You can bring your right foot into the backcourt without a violation. All of these things are legal, WHILE DRIBBLING, because both feet and the ball must touch in the frontcourt in order for the ball to have frontcourt status.

Hope that's not overkill to make my point.