Backcourt or Not???
 

Got a situation that we are currently discussing in the association, so I wanted to get your guys take on what the correct call is.

Here is the situation:

Team A has the ball on the endline under Team B's basket after a made three pointer by Team B. A1 (the player with the ball on the endline) throws a baseball pass to A2 who is in A's frontcourt. Instead of catching the ball, A2 muffs the pass. The ball bounces three times in the frontcourt (without being touched after the initial muff) and rolls into the backcourt where a Team A player is the first to pick it up. Has a backcourt violation occurred? Just interested to hear rules interpretations on this scenario. Thanks guys and gals!!!

Team A player that missed the catch had established front court position. So, since the ball then traveled to the back court, it will be a violation if touched by Team A. My area director gave us something close... A1 is in the B/C and passes to A2 in the F/C. The pass is short and hits the foot of A2. The ball rolls back into the B/C. It will be a violation if touched by Team A.

Not a backcourt violation. The four criteria for a violation are:

1. Team control
2. Ball must achieve a frontcourt status
3. The team in control is the last to touch the ball while it has a frontcourt status.
4. The team in control is the first to touch the ball after it has achieved a backcourt status.

As I envision the play, a simple muff does not establish team control (no team control on a throw-in under NFHS rules) as the player is not holding or dribble the ball. Therefore no violation.

You are correct in saying the Team A player touching the ball in the frontcourt gave it a front court status, but there was no team control during the play.

In the play given by your area directer, there is team control as control remains even while passing the ball. The ball gains a front court status by virtue of A2 touching the ball while having front court status. The ball going off A2's foot does not end team control. Thus the team in control was the last to touch the ball when it had front court status, and the first to touch after it gained backcourt status.

I got it, that makes sense.

Give that man a cookie!

Not to sound harsh(no, not me, never, nosir), but has anybody in your association ever read the case book? NFHS case book play 4.12.6(b) has been in the book a long time.

We have, but this was just something that happened to one of our officials last year, and he brought the situation up during our last meeting. I thought it was an interesting refresher that team control needs to be established in the frontcourt during a throw-in for there to be a backcourt violation.

That's a basic. Rule 9-9-1 covers all frontcourt situations including throw-ins.

This question gets asked at least once and usually more than once every year on this forum though.