When FC/BC status begins

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by bainsey

A-1 makes a bad cross-court pass that's easily stolen by B-2, who steals it with one hand and immediately starts a dribble.

Here's the crux: When B-2 starts this her dribble, she has a foot in the air, one in the FC (about 10 inches from the division line), and her dribble hits the division line. When did status begin, when she immediately touched the ball (resulting in a violation), or when the dribble is established (no violation)?

Two entirely different things.

The status of the ball changes upon a mere touch by a player or when contact is made with the court. So in your scenario the ball had frontcourt status from the view of Team B the moment that B2 touched it and the ball then had backcourt status, again with regard to Team B, the moment that it bounced on the division line.

However, you are concerned with player and team CONTROL, which is a necessary element for there to be a backcourt violation. Player control means holding or dribbling the ball and when there is player control there is team control, so unless B2 had player control and thus there was Team control for B in the frontcourt prior to the ball striking the division line, the play was legal. If you judged that B2 caught the ball with one hand and/or started the dribble in the frontcourt, then you would need to whistle for a violation.