9.2 Throw in provisions
 

Just a quick question. Some veteran officials and myself were talking about a throw in from under the basket that hits underneath the backboard. From the case book and rule book it says it's legal to hit the sides and the front face coming from out of bounds because they are inbounds, but neither says nothing about underneath the backboard, which is also inbounds. So I am saying it's legal to come from OOB on a throw in and hit the bottom of the backboard and come into play legally! I have been told by some that it's illegal and they have called several violations in front of me. AM I MISSING SOMETHING???

Hmmm good one, perhaps theres an old interp?

I would think that the bottom of the backboard could be considered the bottom "side." It's definitely inbounds...

The bottom of the backboard, by rule is in-bounds and in play. There was an old interp floating around years ago that said that the administering official should watch which way the ball rebounded off the bottom of the board on a throw-in. If the ball rebounded straight down or out onto the court, it had to have hit the bottom of the board and thus was a legal throw-in. If instead, the ball rebounded back towards the end line, the ball must have hit the back of the backboard and thus had to be a violation.

Simple physics iow.

See NFHS rule 4-4-5. That says that all edges of the backboard are in-bounds. That obviously has to include the bottom edge.

Would agree, thanks to all!

A rectangular backboard is in fact a rectangular prism with 6 faces. 5 of them are in-bounds. :)

From The Mythbusters' Files ...
 

The front, top, sides, and bottom of the backboard are all in play. The ball cannot pass over a rectangular backboard from either direction. The back of a backboard is out of bounds as well as the supporting structures.

Say what?:confused: The ball sureashell can. I've seen it happen a ton of times.

Thanks ...
 

The front, top, sides, and bottom of the backboard are all in play. The ball cannot legally pass over a rectangular backboard from either direction. The back of a backboard is out of bounds as well as the supporting structures.

Well, it can do so physically but it would also be a violation. (Where "from" is intended to be form the back or from the front and not from the left/right).