5 Second Count

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Refsmitty

GJH game last night, girl dribbling while being closely defended, I start count, girl continues to dribble across the court close to the division line. I call the violation. Of course the coach says how can that be, she was attacking the basket. My response was that the count stops when the torso is past the defender or the dribbler backs up to avoid the 6 foot rule, was it the correct call?

"What we've got here is a failure to communicate." (Cool Hand Luke)

You were 100% correct in your call, but you failed to listen to the coaches comment, which is why your reply fell on deaf ears. His complaint was that "she was attacking the basket". Many years ago, probably when this coach was playing, if a dribbler, while being closely guarded, dribbled past the twenty-eight foot hash mark, which still appears on some older courts, she got a new five second count started. Back then you cold hold for four seconds, dribble for four seconds, dribble past the hash mark, and get to dribble for four more seconds, and then hold for four seconds, with no violation, a total of 16 seconds. The maximum limit today is twelve seconds. Old Coach, old rule, maybe a young official, who never knew any other closely guarded rule.