Kobe Bryant behind backboard basket

[APG]

Originally Posted by mbyron

If that's the rule, it was called correctly. The ball seemed to be near the edge of the lane when it left his hand, which would mean that it was not "directly behind the backboard."

The relevant provision for NFHS is 7-1-2:
"The ball is out of bounds:
b. When it passes over a rectangular backboard."

I was taught that this means "directly over," which seems equivalent to the NBA rule (or, if you like, the "NBA rule").

Ball certainly looked like it went directly behind the backboard to me. Am I missing something? I've seen balls travel the exact same trajectory except it went over due to a missed shot and seen it called out of bounds at all levels, not just the NBA, and that's how I've called it in all my games.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by AllPurposeGamer

Ball certainly looked like it went directly behind the backboard to me. Am I missing something?

His right foot seems to be on the lane line, and the ball over his head.

The lane is 12' wide (or 14'? I don't know NBA dimensions), and the backboard is only 6' wide. So the ball left his hand approximately 3' to the side of the backboard, and thus not directly behind it.

[BillyMac]

Happened right down the street in Hartford, CT. The Celtics use to play a few regular season games here each year, when the Hartford Civic Center (now XL Center) had a larger capacity than the old Boston Garden.

Yahoo! Video Detail for Larry Bird hits an incredible behind the backboard shot