backboard

[bainsey]

In a high school tournament here a few years ago, a game-winning shot was described as being "over the backboard" in the local newspaper. I have to wonder if the writer -- and most readers -- know such a thing cannot legally exist, and if it cannot exist, maybe it didn't go over the backboard. If it did, there would have been a lot of noise about that shot. It was a rectangular backboard.

It was very close, though. It made me wonder if the entire ball, any part of the ball, or somewhere in between, has to pass over the backboard to be a violation. I never thought to ask until now.