Latest Version Of The Most Misunderstood Basketball Rules ...

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Adam

A few more changes you could make.

"Never, ever, ever respond to a critique with a, "Yes, but ...". (BillyMac)

I appreciate your suggestions, and I will give them a closer look, but some (some, not all) of your selections are commonly misunderstood, by coaches, players and fans, not by officials, and with the possible exception of brand new officials who have just opened the rulebook for the first time, this list is not meant for officials.

I think that your overestimating the rules knowledge of the common, garden variety, fan, many of whom are not really die hard basketball fans, but are parents who are only there to watch their sons, or daughters: "That's not out of bounds, it didn't touch anything while going over the top of the backboard".

[Adam]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

"Never, ever, ever respond to a critique with a, "Yes, but ...". (BillyMac)

I appreciate you suggestions, and I will give them a closer look, but some (some, not all) of your selections are commonly misunderstood, by coaches, players and fans, not by officials, and with the possible exception of brand new officials who have just opened the rulebook for the first time, this list is not meant for officials.

I think that your overestimating the rules knowledge of the common, garden variety, fan, many of whom are not really die hard basketball fans, but are parents who are only there to watch their sons, or daughters: "That's not out of bounds, it didn't touch anything while going over the top of the backboard".

I've never once had any grief for an OOB call on a ball going over the backboard. I guess I don't consider it a "commonly misunderstood" rule unless I hear it virtually every other game. One idiot fan per season doesn't make my radar.

Maybe this week I'll have time to sit down and make a top 20 list of how I see it. YMMV, of course.

Also, Billy, I appreciate the effort that has gone into this.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Adam

I guess I don't consider it a "commonly misunderstood" rule unless I hear it virtually every other game. One idiot fan per season doesn't make my radar.

Therein lies the rub. One idiot fan per season, especially on a very simple call, does make my radar.

In the immortal words of a naked old man running through the streets of ancient Syracuse (no, it wasn't Jim Boeheim), "Eureka". Thanks to your post, I've finally figured out how I selected rules to post on this "list", or "article". Selections are not only based on the frequency that the rule is misunderstood, but the selection is also based on how simple the rule should be to understand, if the fan only knew the rule.

Note that there is no explanation on my "list" regarding the different types of jump stops that are legal, or illegal, in regard to the traveling rule. This rule is difficult for some officials to understand, and more so to explain, so I'm not going to expect a fan to know all the nuances of the traveling rule.

When a player executes a completely legal jump stop, and a fan yells, "travel", I'm not thinking to myself, "stupid fan", but when an inbounds pass from underneath the team's basket goes untouched into the backcourt where it is retrieved by as player from that team, and a fan yells, "backcourt", then I'm thinking, "idiot fan, if he only knew the rule".