Backcourt or not
 

Trying to clarify a "ball has front court status" situation as we have been hotly debating it during training with new refs.

Player is dribbling from back court to front court and has both feet in the front court but is still bouncing the ball in the back court (it has not broken the plane of the mid-court line).

Player is dribbling from back court to front court and has both feet in the front court but is holding the ball extended into the back court (it has not broken the plane of the mid-court line).

What are your opinions on this?

Play 1: No front court status. Three points (two feet plus ball) must be established in the front court while dribbling.

Play 2: Front court status. The three points rule does not apply when not dribbling the ball. When the ball is being held only the feet location matters.

Unless I'm forgetting something, the plane of the division line has no significance in any play.

It matters on the 10 second back court count, doesn't it?

+10

MTD, Sr.

No. The ball has to touch something in the frontcourt to gain frontcourt status. If it's in the air from backcourt to frontcourt it retains the same status as when it was last in contact with a player or the court. (NFHS 4-4-3, NCAA 7-5-1.1).

"Make up your mind, dude, is he gonna sh*t or is he gonna kill us?"

(Jeff Spicoli)

I was told early on in my training "The ball and players are where they were until they get where they are going."

Seems to work fine...at least in my simple mind. :D

The plane of the division line never has any significance.

Officials aid?
 

Visualize that plane to make a straight toss on opening (and/or OT) tip?:D

When the dribbler is moving from BC to FC, the ball does not have FC status until both feet are in the FC and the ball is dribbled in the FC. If either foot is in the BC or the ball is still being dribbled in the BC, BC status still exists.

As someone else posted, you can't be dribbling the ball and holding it at the same time. If a player is holding the ball and neither foot is in the BC, the ball and player now have FC status.

No opinion, these are facts.

And as others have said, the plane is of no consequence.

And such a player may step back into the backcourt with one or both feet.

I seem to recall re-tosses in jump ball situations where the ball was tossed poorly. (This is not the original topic, and not a big issue, but never and always, are highly suspect.)

What is used to determine a jump ball was thrown correctly by the official?

That would be a straight line, not a plane. :) The toss could be completely within the plane and still horrible.

It's like pornography. I can't define it very well, but I know it when I see it.

I guess, basically, if one or both of the jumpers is at a disadvantage due to a bad toss it should be re-done.

nfhs 6-3-4

Judgement.

I always use the intersection of two vertical, perpendicular planes to toss the ball correctly. :cool:

I've seen more casesof "jump ball" tosses with something erroneus occuring than I thought I would. Cases when both players jump to tap ball, but other player grabbing the tapped ball before it hits the floor after a simultaneous tap effort.
Jumpers "stealing" the jump ball.
And dare I say here---non-jumping players continually moving around and shuffling prior to the tap :eek:

Some (perhaps most) of that movement is legal.

I tried to put together a little chart, but I can't get it to format properly.

As a practical matter, moving off the circle is always allowed.

You can't move on or around or break the plane after the official is ready, but most of the time this movement happens as the official is moving in, and the official will just re-set.

Once the ball is tossed, you can move on or around, but you can't take an occupied space or break the plane. Those two things rarely happen.

You're kidding, right?

“Never miss a good chance to shut up.” (Will Rogers) ...
 

Things Officials Should Probably Not Be Saying In A Game

"Hold your spots", said by the referee, or tosser, before the jump ball, is only rule based for some of the players. One exception to this rule, and there are others, is that players on the jump ball circle can move off the jump ball circle at any time: before the toss, during the toss, or after the toss.

"You can't stand behind him”, stated by the referee, or the umpire, before a jump ball, to a player who is directly behind an opponent, both whom are ten feet off the jump ball circle, is not rule based. The rule that players can’t stand behind, within three feet, of an opponent, only applies to players on, and within three feet of, the jump ball circle. Players farther back than that can stand wherever they want, as long as they get to that spot first.

"The things I did not say never hurt me." (Calvin Coolidge)

6-3 JUMP-BALL ADMINISTRATION
ART. 1 For any jump ball, each jumper shall have both feet within that half
of the center restraining circle which is farther from his/her basket.
ART. 2 When the official is ready and until the ball is tossed, nonjumpers
shall not:
a. Move onto the center restraining circle.
b. Change position around the center restraining circle.
ART. 3 Teammates may not occupy adjacent positions around the center
restraining circle if an opponent indicates a desire for one of these positions
before the referee is ready to toss the ball.
ART. 4 The ball shall be tossed upward between the jumpers in a plane at
right angles to the sidelines. The toss shall be to a height greater than either of
them can jump so that it will drop between them.
ART. 5 Until the tossed ball is touched by one or both jumpers, nonjumpers
shall not:
a. Have either foot break the plane of the center restraining circle cylinder.
b. Take a position in any occupied space.
ART. 6 The tossed ball must be touched by one or both of the jumpers after
it reaches its highest point. If the ball contacts the floor without being touched by
at least one of the jumpers, the referee shall toss it again.
ART. 7 Neither jumper shall:
a. Touch the tossed ball before it reaches its highest point.
b. Leave the center restraining circle until the ball has been touched.
c. Catch the jump ball.
d. Touch the ball more than twice.
ART. 8 The jump ball and the restrictions in 6-3-7 end when the touched
ball contacts one of the eight nonjumpers, an official, the floor, a basket or
backboard.
NOTE: During a jump ball, a jumper is not required to face his/her own basket, provided
he/she is in the proper half of the center restraining circle. The jumper is also not required
to jump and attempt to touch the tossed ball. However, if neither jumper touches the ball
it should be