The Most Misunderstood Basketball Rules
 

I received a private message from a former esteemed member asking if I've updated The Most Misunderstood Basketball Rules list since the rule changes came out back in the spring. I have, so I've decided to post it here.

I started working on this list back in March 2005, for a presentation that I was making to a college level basketball coaching class after I was asked to give a lecture on the most misunderstood basketball rules.

This is a list of basketball rules that are often misunderstood by coaches, players, and parents. I developed this list over the past twenty-nine years, officiating thousands of basketball games, listening to erroneous comments from players, coaches, and mostly from fans, and thinking to myself, "I wish I could stop the game and explain the real rule to them". This list is meant to educate players, coaches, and fans.

For example. A player is dribbling the ball in the backcourt and a fan is yelling "three seconds". Or, a player is inbounding the ball and a parent yells "he's stepping on the boundary line". How many times have things like this happened to you? Don't you just want to blow the whistle, stop the game, and say "there can't be a three second violation until the ball is in the frontcourt", or "the player can step on the line, but not over the line".

Part I ...
 

The Most Misunderstood Basketball Rules

It is important to know the intent and purpose of a rule so that it may be intelligently applied in each play situation. A player of a team should not be permitted an advantage which is not intended by a rule. Neither should play be permitted to develop which may lead to placing a player at a disadvantage not intended by a rule.

A player cannot touch the ball, ring, or net while the ball is on the ring or within the basket. A player cannot touch the ball if it is in the imaginary cylinder above the ring. These are examples of basket interference. It is legal to touch the ring or the net if the ball is above the ring and not touching the ring, even if the ball is in the imaginary cylinder above the ring. It is legal to hang on the ring if a player is avoiding an injury to himself or herself or another player.

The backboard has nothing to do with goaltending. Goaltending when a player touches the ball during a try, or tap, while it is in its downward flight, entirely above the basket ring level and has the possibility of entering the basket. On most layups, the ball is going up after it contacts the backboard. It is legal to pin the ball against the backboard if it still on the way up and not in the imaginary cylinder above the basket. Slapping the backboard is neither basket interference nor is it goaltending and points cannot be awarded. A player who strikes a backboard, during a tap, or a try, so forcefully that it cannot be ignored because it is an attempt to draw attention to the player, or a means of venting frustration, may be assessed a technical foul. When a player simply attempts to block a shot and accidentally slaps the backboard it is neither a violation nor is it a technical foul.

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.

The traveling rule is one of the most misunderstood rules in basketball. To start a dribble, the ball must be released before the pivot foot is lifted. On a pass or a shot, the pivot foot may be lifted, but may not return to the floor before the ball is released. A player may slide on the floor while trying to secure a loose ball until that player’s momentum stops. At that point that player cannot attempt to get up or rollover. A player securing a ball while on the floor cannot attempt to stand up unless that player starts a dribble. A player in this situation may also pass, shoot, or request a timeout. If the player is flat on his or her back, that player may sit up without violating.

During a fumble the player is not in control of the ball, and therefore, cannot be called for a traveling violation. A fumble is the accidental loss of player control when the ball is unintentionally dropped or slips from a player’s grasp. After a player has ended a dribble and fumbled the ball, that player may recover the ball without violating. Any steps taken during the recovery of a fumble are not traveling, regardless of how far the ball goes and the amount of advantage that is gained. It is always legal to recover a fumble, even at the end of a dribble, however that player cannot begin a new dribble, which would be an illegal dribble violation. A player who fumbles the ball when receiving a pass may legally start a dribble.

The shooter can retrieve his or her own airball, if the referee considers it to be a shot attempt. The release ends team control. It is not a violation for that player to start another dribble at that point. When an airborne player keeps control of an attempted shot that is blocked and is unable to release the ball and returns to the floor with it, that player has not traveled; it is a held ball. If, in this situation, the shooter loses control of the ball because of the block, then this is simply a blocked shot and play continues. If, in this situation, the defender simply touches the ball, and the airborne shooter returns to the floor holding the ball, it’s a traveling violation. When an airborne player tries for goal, sees that the try will be blocked, purposely drops the ball, and picks up the ball after it hits the floor, that player has traveled by starting a dribble with the pivot foot off the floor.

Palming or carrying is when the ball comes to rest in the player's hand, and the player either travels with the ball, or dribbles a second time. There is no restriction as to how high a player may bounce the ball, provided the ball does not come to rest in a player’s hand. Steps taken during a dribble are not traveling, including several that are sometimes taken when a high dribble takes place. It is not possible for a player to travel during a dribble.

A player inbounding the ball may step on, but not over the line. During a designated spot throwin, the player inbounding the ball must keep one foot on or over the three-foot wide designated spot. An inbounding player is allowed to jump or move one or both feet. A player inbounding the ball may move backward as far as the five-second time limit or space allows. If player moves outside the three-foot wide designated spot it is a violation, not travelling. In gymnasiums with limited space outside the sidelines and endlines, a defensive player may be asked to step back no more than three feet. A player inbounding the ball may bounce the ball on the out-of-bounds area prior to making a throwin. After a goal, or awarded goal, the team not credited with the score shall make the throw-in from any point outside the end line. A team retains this “run the endline” privilege if a timeout is called during the dead ball period after the goal. Any player of the team may make a direct throw-in or may pass the ball along the end line to a teammate outside the boundary line.

The defender may not break the imaginary plane during a throwin until the ball has been released on a throw-in pass. If the defender breaks the imaginary plane during a throwin before the ball has been released on a throw-in pass, the defender’s team will receive a team warning, or if the team has already been warned for one of the four delay situations, this action would result in a team technical foul. If the defender contacts the ball after breaking the imaginary plane, it is a player technical foul and a team warning will be recorded. If the defender fouls the inbounding player after breaking the imaginary plane, it is an intentional personal foul, and a team warning will be recorded.

The inbounding player does not have a plane restriction, but has five seconds to release the ball and it must come directly onto the court. The ball can always be passed into the backcourt during a throwin. This situation is not a backcourt violation.

If a player's momentum carries him or her off the court, he or she can be the first player to touch the ball after returning inbounds. That player must not have left the court voluntarily and must immediately return inbounds. That player must have something in and nothing out. It is not necessary to have both feet back inbounds. It is a violation for a player to intentionally leave the court for an unauthorized reason.

After a violation, the ball is awarded to the opponents for a throwin from an out of bounds spot nearest the violation. This is especially true for a backcourt violation, where the ball may not necessarily be put in play at the division line, but, rather, is always put back in play at the spot nearest the violation.

A moving screen is not in and of itself a foul, illegal contact must occur for a foul to be called. If a blind screen is set on a stationary defender, the defender must be given one normal step to change direction and attempt to avoid contact. If a screen is set on a moving defender, the defender gets a minimum of one step and a maximum of two steps, depending on the speed and distance of the defender.

It is legal use of hands to accidentally hit the hand of the opponent when it is in contact with the ball. This includes holding, dribbling, passing, or even during a shot attempt. Striking a ball handler or a shooter on that player's hand that is incidental to an attempt to play the ball is not a foul, no matter how loud it sounds or how much it hurts.

Reaching in is not a foul. There must be illegal contact to have a foul. The mere act of reaching in, by itself, is nothing. If illegal contact does occur, it’s probably a holding foul, an illegal use of hands foul, or a hand check foul. When a player, in order to stop the clock, does not make a legitimate play for the ball, holds, pushes or grabs away from the ball, or uses undue roughness, the foul is an intentional foul.

Over the back is not a foul. There must be illegal contact to have a foul. A taller player may often be able to get a rebound over a shorter player, even if the shorter player has good rebounding position. If the shorter player is displaced, then a pushing foul must be called. A rebounding player, with an inside position, while boxing out, is not allowed to push back or displace an opponent, which is a pushing foul.

Part II ...
 

A defensive player does not have to remain stationary to take a charge. A defender may turn away or duck to absorb contact, provided he or she has already established legal guarding position, which is both feet on the playing court and facing the opponent. The defender can always move backwards or sideways to maintain a legal guarding position and may even have one or both feet off the playing court when contact occurs. That player may legally rise vertically. If the defender is moving forward, then the contact is caused by the defender, which is a blocking foul.

The mere fact that contact occurs does not constitute a foul. Incidental contact is contact with an opponent which is permitted and does not constitute a foul. Contact, which occurs unintentionally in an effort by an opponent to reach a loose ball, or contact which may result when opponents are in equally favorable positions to perform normal defensive or offensive moves, should not be considered illegal, even though the contact may be severe. Contact which does not hinder an opponent from participating in normal defensive or offensive movements should be considered incidental.

A ten-second count continues when the defense deflects or bats the ball in the backcourt. When a dribbler is advancing the ball into the frontcourt, the ball maintains backcourt status until both feet and the ball touch entirely in the frontcourt.

During a throwin, even under a team’s own basket, if the throwin is deflected, tipped, or batted by an offensive player in the frontcourt to an offensive player in the backcourt; or after a missed field goal attempt or a missed foul shot attempt, if the ball is deflected, tipped, or batted by an offensive player in the frontcourt to an offensive player in the backcourt; these are not a backcourt violations. In both cases team control, a player holding or dribbling the ball, has not yet been established.

During a throwin, or jump ball, any player; or a defensive player, in making a steal; may legally jump from his or her frontcourt, secure control of the ball with both feet off the floor, and return to the floor with one or both feet in the backcourt. The player may make a normal landing and it makes no difference whether the first foot down is in the frontcourt or the backcourt. These three situations are not backcourt violations.

The closely guarded rule is in effect in frontcourt only, when a defender is within six feet of the ball handler. Up to three separate five-second counts may occur on the same ball handler, holding, dribbling, and holding. The count continues even if defenders switch. The five-second count ends when a dribbler gets his or her head and shoulders ahead of the defender.

The intent of the three-second rule is to not allow an offensive player to gain an advantage. There is no three-second count between the release of a shot and the control of a rebound, at which time a new count starts. There is no three-second count during a throwin. There is no three-second count while the ball is in the backcourt. There is a three-second count during an interrupted dribble. Allowance shall be made for a player who, having been in the restricted area for less than three seconds, dribbles in or moves immediately to try for goal.

The head coach may request and be granted a timeout if his or her player is holding or dribbling the ball, or during a dead ball period. A player saving the ball in the air can ask for and be granted a timeout even if that player is going out of bounds. The key is whether or not the player has control of the ball.

On free throws, there is a maximum of two offensive players and four defensive players in the six marked lane spaces. The defense must be in the first marked lane spaces, above the neutral zone marks, on all free throws. The offense must not occupy the first marked lane spaces, above the neutral zone marks. The shooter and all the players in the designated lane spaces must wait until the ball hits rim or backboard before entering the lane. Players, other than the shooter, and the players in the designated lane spaces, are to remain behind the free throw line extended and behind the three point arc, and may not penetrate the free throw line extended and the three point arc until the ball hits rim or backboard. During a free throw, no opponent, including bench personnel, may disconcert the free thrower. For free throws when there are no rebounders in the marked lane spaces, i.e. technical fouls, the nine nonshooters shall remain behind the free throw line extended and behind the three point arc.

A held ball occurs when opponents have their hands so firmly on the ball that control cannot be obtained without undue roughness. Action of arms and elbows resulting from total body movements as in pivoting or moving to prevent a held ball or loss of control shall not be considered excessive. It is a violation for a player to excessively swing his or her arms or elbows, even without contacting an opponent.

Kicking the ball is intentionally striking it with any part of the leg or foot. An unintentionally kicked ball is never illegal, regardless of how far the ball goes and who recovers it. It is also illegal to hit the ball with a fist.

A player who has been replaced, or directed to leave the game, shall not re-enter before the next opportunity to substitute after the clock has been started properly following his, or her, replacement. In other words, a player who has been replaced must sit a tick of the clock, however, a player doesn’t have to play a tick of the clock.

Players may not participate while wearing jewelry. Religious medals or medical alert medals are not considered jewelry. A religious medal must be taped and worn under the uniform. A medical alert medal must be taped and may be visible.

Headbands and wristbands must be white, black, beige or a single solid school color, provided all team members are wearing the same color for each item for all participants. Only a single item may be worn on the head and/or on each wrist. Sweatbands must be worn below the elbow. Rubber or cloth elastic bands, of any color, may be used to control hair. Undershirts must be similar in color to the jersey and shall not have frayed or ragged edges. State associations may, on an individual basis, allow a player to participate while wearing a head covering, if it is worn for medical or religious reasons, provided that the covering is not abrasive, hard, or dangerous, and is attached in such a way that it is highly unlikely to come off during play.

Officials are not required to explain judgment calls, but they may explain some calls if approached by the head coach in a respectful manner. Officials have been instructed to call technical fouls for profanity, unsporting acts, excessive complaints, or verbal abuse.

Officials are on the court to be the only unbiased arbiters of the game. Officials are not concerned with who wins or loses, but only fairness and safety. Everyone else in that gym cares about winning, and therefore cannot look at the game objectively. Players commit fouls and violations; officials view those infractions, judge the action, and then apply the rules of the game to what they had viewed. The rules then determine the penalty.

Revised 10/5/10

So, what rule change affected the misunderstood rules?

Based on a recent thread, maybe you should add that it's not illegal for players along the FT lane to have their arms extended into adjacent spaces. ;)

Colour My World ...
 

Headbands and wristbands must be white, black, beige or a single solid school color, provided all team members are wearing the same color for each item for all participants.

Also, a few other "unannounced" editorial changes.

Okay, I guess I wouldn't have put them in a list of misunderstood rules, but it's your list. :D

Think Again ???
 

Do you really think that players, coaches, and fans, understand this rule? Not in these parts.

The NCHSAA took it a step further. As long as every player who is wearing such is wearing the same color, we don't give a tinker's damn what color it is. :D

And that's how it should be.

No but I don't think they misunderstand it either. I would put it in the category of unknown rules that they really don't care about.

Pick A Color, Any Color ...
 

Amen.

You Have The Right To Remain Silent ...
 

I don't give a rat's derriere about fans understanding, or not understanding, this rule, but it would be nice it players, and coaches, understood the rule. Then I wouldn't have to flash my "Fashion Police" badge every few games.

Last season a photo appeared in a major metropolitan newspaper of a high school state tournament game worked by our local board officials where a girl with a white (home) jersey was wearing a red headband (illegal last year, legal this year). Our interpreter made it part of his Powerpoint presentation and, without mentioning any names, reamed us all out.

And if you think that this rule can't be enforced consistently, then guess again. Undershirt, headband, wrist bands, and jewelry rules are strictly enforced in the Catholic middle school league that I work. If we, as officials, don't enforce these rules, we don't get paid by our assigner. All officials know this, as do all coaches. After a few reminders the first week of the season, we no longer have any problems with these "Fashion Police" rules. No, "The officials last week let him wear his lucky purple and yellow striped headband". And some of these kids are in second, or third grade, coached by volunteer parents. If they "get" the rule, then high school varsity players, coached by paid coaches, can "get" the rule.

Would somebody please help me down from my soapbox. I'm getting dizzy up here.


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Billy, I have no problem with enforcement of this rule. By the time the kids around here hit high school, they're all complying; so I can only assume it's being enforced at the ms level. I'll probably work a few ms games this year to get back into the flow, so I can tell you it'll be enforced then. Hell, I knew the rule when I played junior high basketball in the late 80s.

Actually, I've got a serious point to make about the misunderstood rules. If it's too long, people don't read it, so I would recommend trying to keep it to one page. That would mean you have to either drop some or shorten them all. Maybe one list of misunderstood rules and one list of "rules you never knew about."

I can see the misunderstood rules (3 seconds, over the back, etc.) being useful to help fans; while the "rules you never know about" (colors of undershirts and headbands, jewelry, coaching box) would be beneficial to parents and coaches who are new to the game.

Just my two bits offered from somewhere in front of the soapbox.

Not A Good Empty Nester ...
 

Great point. I keep trying to shorten it, but can't decide which points to delete. It's not "my" list (I've gotten a lot of help from many Forum members), but it is my "baby" and it's hard for me to let one, or more, points "leave the nest". I'm starting to tear up just thinking about it. Next time I revise it I will invite Forum members to make corrections, additions, or, dare I say it, deletions. Of course, we're all good neighbors around here so no one really needs an invitation.

One Of "Those Guys" ...
 

How do you, and your association colleagues, accomplish this daunting task? I talk to to varsity kids during warmups about illegal equipment and they look at me like I'm from Mars and I've got three eyes. I've got kids, and coaches, telling me in January, "How come? All the other officials that we've had this year have allowed Poindexter to wear his lucky, yellow, and pink, polka dotted, headband". This always makes me feel like I'm one of "those guys" and I don't want to be like one of "those guys". I screwed up and made one of "those guys" calls a few years ago, and I've never lived it down.

For one, if Poindexter's friends/coaches tried telling me that, I'd know they were lying. They don't try. Every time I have to say anything (arm bands, ipod, earrings) in warm-ups, I get the same response. "Oh yeah, sorry." And it's a legitimate "sorry," as you can see in their face they just forgot.

No Fashion Police Needed Here ...
 

Sounds like you guys really got your act together. It's amazing how easy this can be when everybody's on the same page. Keep up the good work.

That's a lot of it, it can't be a one-man crusade. The whole association has to be on board.

Billy....
Thanks for your post. Starting my 3rd year and taking my local board's test for certification next week. In addition to studying my rule and case book and doing practice tests, your list of misunderstood rules has helped solidify in my mind the concepts and rationale of so many basic rules. For example what wrote about traveling and dribbling has already made reading and understanding sample test questions that ask "is this a travel? or is this a double dribble"? not only easier to answer correctly, but to answer confidently.

"Palming or carrying is when a player gains an advantage when the ball comes to rest in the player's hand"

Is it OK for the point guard to palm his way down the court if no-one is around him?

Good catch. The words "gains an advantage" should be removed. Advantage/disadvantage doesn't apply to violations.

Billy should know that.

The intent and purpose of the rules ...
 

Jurassic Referee: Please, let's not go through this again. We tried to hash this out several years ago with no agreement, or even an agreement to disagree, between us. Long story short, if anyone here calls a three second violation every single time that an offensive player, sans exceptions, spends exactly 3.01 seconds in the lane, then they are certainly "one of those guys". Jurassic Referee: From reading your posts here, and on other forums, for several years, I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you are certainly not "one of those guys".

From the NFHS Rulebook: It is important to know the intent and purpose of a rule so that it may be intelligently applied in each play situation. A player or a team should not be permitted an advantage which is not intended by a rule. Neither should play be permitted to develop which may lead to placing a player at a disadvantage not intended by a rule.

Some rules involve fouls. Some rules involve violations.

If anyone here calls a ten second violation every single time that a free throw shooter takes exactly 10.01 seconds before shooting a free throw, then they, again, are certainly "one of those guys".

"Gains An Advantage", Or Not ???
 

Actually, I have given some thought, actually, much thought, thanks to Jurassic Referee, to removing the "gains an advantage" part of this misunderstood rule.

A1, dribbling in the backcourt, all by himself, no defender, looks to his coach for a play. While doing so, paying close attention to his coach, he absentmindedly, and accidentally, allows the ball to rest for a fraction of a second on the little finger of his dribbling hand, for one dribble, and then continues dribbling "normally". I probably won't call a violation here.

A1, dribbling in the backcourt, closely defended by B1, allows the ball to rest for a fraction of a second on his dribbling hand during a hesitation move, and in doing so, is able to gain an advantage and dribble past defender B1. I've got a violation here every time.

What if the ball was touched with both hands while the dribbler was looking at the coach? What if the dribbler actually grabbed the ball with both hands and then dribbled again? Do you think it's also OK to pick and choose the degree to which a rule has been violated and just call some of the illegal second-dribble violations? The ones that you feel like calling?

And using the same logic, you wouldn't call a violation if the same player stepped on a boundary line in the backcourt while he's not under any pressure either, right? You do believe in consistency, right? Or do you pick and choose what violations that you think should be called under some mystical system known only to yourself?

I ain't gonna argue with you, Billy. That is why personally I don't take your most mis-understood rules too seriously though.

Tough Questions, Tough Answers ...
 

Violation.

Violation.

Yes, as long as I, and others on my local board, have been taught to be consistent with such calls as individual officials (within the game, and from game to game), and with each other.

Violation. I call boundary lines by the book, as I've been taught, and as all officials on our local board, have been taught.

They are not known only to me, but are taught, and understood by all competent officials on my local board.

Now, Jurassic Referee, after you have had your second helping of apple pie, would you please sit down tell us an after dinner story about the Pilgrims and the Indians, after which could you please follow up with a story about how you personally might bend some rules to account for advantage and disadvantage in calling three second lane violations and ten second free throw violations. Just exactly how do you decide to call these? Are there black areas, white areas, and gray areas, to these rules? "Do you think it's OK to pick and choose the degree to which a rule has been violated?" "You do believe in consistency, right? Or do you pick and choose what violations that you think should be called under some mystical system known only to yourself?"

Oh, and by the way, Happy Thanksgiving.

Naw, I try to follow what to the best of my knowledge is standard practice. And it's almost universally accepted afaik that we should use some advantage/disadvantage on 3-seconds and 10-seconds for a FT shooter. It isn't universally accepted though to the best of my knowledge, at least in my little section of hell plus surrounding sections, that we should treat other violations like palming, traveling, etc. the same way. To say some illegal second-dribbles are OK in the back court with no pressure while other illegal second dribbles(also with no pressure in the back court) should be called makes zero sense to me.

And imo that's why what we do is an art as well as a science, with the rato of art to science varying game-to-game depending on circumstances IN any particular game.

Happy Thanksgiving to you too, Billy. It's always a great holiday when the Dallas Cowboys are getting their l'il ol' butts schmucked. :D

Jurassic Mindreader ???
 

Now how in the world did you know that I'm a Dallas Cowboys fan? And now you want to ruin my holiday by yanking my chain? The team of Roger Staubach, Tom Landry, and Calvin Hill? How can anybody not be a fan?

The Tristate Area Of Hell ...
 

Sounds reasonable to me. A reasonable, thoughtful, kind, reflective, benevolent Jurassic Referee? Man, that tryptophan must have really kicked in?

Upon further review.......

Neighbor From Hell ...
 

What is the meaning of this word "schmucked" that both you, and Woody, from the NFHS Basketball Forum, have been using today? Is this some type of colloquial thing? Are you two from the same neighborhood in hell.

Thanks for Posting
 

Special Thanks to BillyMac for posting this listing. I plan to pass it on to some new officials that will be working youth recreation bkball, and maybe even to the coaches in the league, may be of some help to the coaches.:)

Sometimes You Feel Like A Nut, Sometimes You Don't ...
 

You may want to delete the words, "gains an advantage" from the rule regarding palming or carrying? I'm not, but I'm sure that many others will.

It depends; are you describing the rule, or the way it's enforced in your area of "Connecticut."

Be True To Your School ...
 

The local high school in my town uses the school colors blue and white. Over many years the color red has somehow crept into the uniforms, usually on the piping, or numbers. Several years ago we got a new football coach. He decided to get red helmets. After the first game of the season, all the old timers in town, in the bars, and in the coffee shops, complained, and complained, and complained, about the nontraditional red helmets.

I don't work games for my local high school. I'm a retired teacher, and coach, from the school system, and I don't want there to be a perception of a conflict of interest. Plus there are sixty-nine other schools where I can peddle my wares. For sake of argument, let's say that I did work one of their games, and the players all had red headbands. The rule states that headbands and wristbands must be white, black, beige or a single solid school color. Red is not an officially recognized school color.

Now that I'm up here on my soapbox, let's say that players want to wear black wristbands and headbands to honor the recent death of a player, coach, teacher, etc. Or, to raise cancer awareness, they all want to wear pink headbands, the same week that we all use pink whistles.

I love BktBallRef's post. Why did the guys at the NFHS have to put in the word "school"?

Now could someone please help me down from this soapbox? It didn't seem this high on the way up, and the height kind of scares me.

Note to BktBallRef: Is "tinker's damn" actuaully written into the NCHSAA language?

We'll Need A Quorum ...
 

Really, really, good point. You've convinced me. Five years ago the list was originally written only for my local area. If you do an internet search you'll find that the list has expanded to all over the country, and can be found on many local association websites. In my wildest dreams I never thought that it would reach out as far as it has.

I make a motion that "gains an advantage" be officially deleted from the carrying and palming section of the most misunderstood basketball rules list.

Is there a second?

I'll Second That
 

If we leave gain an advantage in, and it gets in the hands or mouths of coaches, we could be in trouble.:)

Quit using common sense. You'll just screw Billy up.

Bang The Gavel ...
 

golfdesigner has seconded the motion. As the self appointed secretary of the misunderstood basketball rules list, I will now cast one unanimous ballot accepting the motion.

It's official: Palming or carrying is when the ball comes to rest in the player's hand, and the player either travels with the ball, or dribbles a second time. There is no restriction as to how high a player may bounce the ball, provided the ball does not come to rest in a player’s hand.

Don't you just love Bobby's Rules of Order?

1) I'd allow the red.

2) The phrase in "tinker's dam."

3) An exception is usually allowed for pink during designated weeks.

Well... the fact that I live in New England, and not Texas, plays a big role for me.

Black, And White, And Red, All Over ...
 

I would also, as well as the black. It's not my job to research the history of the school to find their traditional school colors. If I'm wrong, well, then, I'm willing to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

Go Bulldogs ...
 

Calvin G. Hill: B.A. History, 1969, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, New England.

I used to go watch him play when I was in high school. We lived close enough to Yale Bowl that my friends and I could walk to, and from, the game from home, avoiding all the traffic. My mother was a Yale employee and got us discounted "cheap seats" behind the goal posts for only a few bucks. Great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

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Live in the past much?

How I Loved To Play Survivor In The Family Bomb Shelter ...
 

Yes indeed. I love to reminisce about my youth. It was a much simpler time. Oh the wonderful memories: The Six Days War; Berlin Wall; Watergate; Bay of Pigs; Cuban missile crisis; JFK, Malcolm X, Robert F. Kennedy, and MLK Jr. assassinated; Vietnam War; Racial bigotry; Fallout shelters.

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I've found this fascinating enough to register after many years of lurking. Thanks, Billymac, for all the work that's obviously gone into this.

I do have a question (or three), as in your introduction you said you used this with the college game, too. I don't know if you have any intention that this list work for NCAA rules or not, but I'd at least like to ask or point out these discrepancies I noticed in case someone reads it from that angle. If I've missed something painfully obvious, please forgive me!

You stated that "the backboard has nothing to do with goaltending". The NCAA (4-34.3) says "When the entire ball is above the level of the ring during a field-goal try and contacts the backboard, it is considered to be on its downward flight. In such a case, it is goaltending when the ball is touched by a player."

Also, for a 5 second violation, you said, "the count continues even if defenders switch". The NCAA (4-13.3) states "After the start of a five-second closely guarded count, in order for a closely guarded violation to occur, there shall be continuous guarding by the same opponent."

Lastly, you said "a player saving the ball in the air can ask for and be granted a timeout even if that player is going out of bounds." NCAA (5-12.1.c) has "No timeouts shall be granted... to a player or coach when an airborne player’s momentum is carrying him/her out of bounds or into the backcourt."

Again, I'm only pointing this out as you indicated you gave this presentation to college audiences, and these points didn't seem to mesh.

Thanks.

Interesting catches; two of those three are, I think, fairly recent changes at the NCAA level.

Schmuck is most often used in American English as a pejorative or insult, meaning an obnoxious, contemptible person; one who is stupid, foolish, or detestable. The word is also used by many Jewish people across Europe with similar pejorative meanings. Variants of spelling and alterations include shmuck, schmo, and shmo.

Got the definition from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schmuck_(pejorative)

"The Joys of Yiddish"
 

The most dissonant aspect of JR's usage is this term is always used as a noun. Using it as a verb form is highly irregular and may be indigenous to the environs of Hell. As JR is obviously a shagitz, he can be excused his error.

PS:Timerboy, I'm surprised you didn't reflexively mention the diminutive form; schmeckel

Schmuck | Define Schmuck at Dictionary.com

schmuck [shmuhk]
–noun Slang .
an obnoxious or contemptible person.

Origin:
1890–95; < Yiddish shmok (vulgar) lit., p£nis (of uncert. orig.)

Schmekel's definition is of a small organ

NFHS Rules ...
 

College level coaching class at a small Christian college. Most of these students were former high school players who hoped to coach high school basketball after graduation. I made it clear to them at the time that these were a set of high school rules and that NCAA rules, and NBA rules, although similar, were not exactly the same.

Yiddish has 113 words synonymous with 'schmuck,' but they all have subtle shades of meaning. 'Schmuck' and 'schmekel' both can be applied with a wink and a smile to your buddy; somebody who is more annoying might be a 'putz'.

On Palming...
 

The paragraph on "palming" might benefit from a mention of the visually enabling illustration, "Anything more than a handshake..."

Schmekel? Putz?
 

Coach, I haven't heard those terms in many a yr.......

Man, I may actually go over to my dad's later today and let him read this thread. He might get a kick out of it too! :p

Ah. Thanks for the clarification.

Palming a schmuck??? :eek:

I take this to mean that touching the backboard has nothing to do with GT, which is true even at the college level. As BillyMac has it written here, I can understand how it could be confusing when considering the college rule. (But in fairness to Billy, I'm pretty sure he was only writing with NFHS rules in mind.)

We didn't star the fire... It was always burning...

throw in violation
 

I was at a high school game and following a made basket the inbounding teams player held the ball for 3 seconds and then inbounded the ball. His teammate allowed the ball to roll upcourt without touching it. The official call a 5 second violation stating his teammate has to touch the ball for the 5 second count to stop. I did not think this was the corret interpetation, but did not know what section to reference. Any help would be appreciated.

If that was why he made the call, he was wrong, and I'll bet he makes a lot of 5 second calls that shouldn't be made.

Was this particular official an older gentleman?

NFHS rule 9-2-4. Bad call.

Set The Wayback Machine To 1985 ...
 

Good call. Twenty-five years ago.

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/images/thumbn...1cf0&index=ch1

Before the gap, it was the law of the land. Also, no time outs granted once a count of 4 was reached on an in bound play or 8 seconds for a 10 second count.

I had a varsity HC try to tell me last year during a game that the other team couldn't request a timeout since I was at four in my five-second count. Of course I'm not that old so I didn't know the old rule at that point, so I just sort of laughed it off to myself. Turns out I should have told him to pay attention when he's copying the answers on his rules test. :rolleyes:

Or perhaps you should have told him to make sure he was not copying off of someone's 1985 test. I am thinking that the change may have been made closer to 1989 or so....

Fools Them Every Time ...
 

Ah, it's the old "Change Of Status" trick.

http://ts3.mm.bing.net/images/thumbn...e6bb98f592cd85