Thought you guys might enjoy a little exchange on a girls basketball forum. A mom posted this message following a recent game:

REFS!!!
Now that I got your attention lol. They actually did a pretty good job tonight! Yea there were some missed fouls on lay-ups and some missed over the back calls BUT !!! They let the girls play! Only 4, yes count them....4 fouls called in the first half, 2 for each team. Second half fouls were 4 for each team till they started fouling us at the end for a chance to get the ball back. No one on one foul shots till 1:32 left in the 4th. It was awesome !!!! NOW>>>you thought I was going to whine didn't you?

I responded to her post by explaining to her that she seemed like a fairly knowledgeable spectator but could she please elaborate on that "over the back" call.


Here was her response:

" When a player posts up for a rebound and the other player is "over their back" reaching over and in front of the player in front of them."

In response to her "explanation" of the "over the back" rule, I posted this message to her:

"I was wondering if you could tell me what rule book you found that in. Fact is, there is no such rule violation known as "over the back." This is the biggest misconception in all of basketball. If you're actually waiting for the day when an official calls "over the back" you might be old and gray before that ever happens.

Simply put, a player can rebound the ball from behind
anytime he/she wants, provided there is no contact. You
cannot penalize a player for being tall or being a good jumper. If a player is able to go over another player without contact, you call this person a "gifted rebounder."

Well, my striped friends, I did the best I could. I hope my explanation meets with your approval!

Attaboy! Thanks for the help.

Coachgrd-
Do you always see it that way during the game your coaching?
Really thanks for trying to make at least one fan more knowledgeable!

AK ref SE

Did she reply to your reply....

coachgrd,

You da' man!

Z

answers
 

Mom has not replied, imagine that.

As far as whether I see it this way when I'm coaching, you bet. I tell my girls that they'd better have a butt in a gut 'cause if not, that missed shot is nothing more than a jump ball. I have to laugh now when I hear an opposing coach yell "Over the Back!" Then I stop and think how many times I expressed that concern years ago and I just cringe.

I've been coaching for about 15 years now. About 5 years ago with a very good AAU team, I had this idea that I'd bring in an official to speak during the last half-hour of an early-season practice. This official ref's at the college level - D2 and D1 experience. The format was basically an open question and answer session. I learned a heck of a lot that night and so did the players.

The segment was a hit. We've done it two to three times a year ever since. We even make sure the parents sit in during these talks. Gotta tell you that none of the parents yell "over the back" anymore...

I wish I'd thought of that a lot earlier in my coaching career.

Not howling nearly as loud now...

Phil

Kudos to you, PGCougar!

Thanks coach, good idea about having the parents at the meeting also!

Stan

I applaud your efforts!
 

Coach, even if there is contact, that doesn't mean there's a foul. If each player goes up within his/her vertical plane or if there is contact and no displacement or no advantage/disadvantage occurs, no foul.

I had a mom tell me last week that "in AAU ball, it is always illegal to reach over the back, contact or no contact. My doaughter has been so frustrated in high school that this doesn't get called." I just said, "hmmm..."