Video Request Backcourt NBA
 

12/25/14 GS vs LAC 5:09 4th quarter
Blake Griffin advancing by dribbling, crossed the midcourt line with both feet, but not the ball, then returned to the backcourt, while still dribbling, and it was called a violation.
Is the rule the same in the NBA as NFHS and NCAA - all three points having to contact the frontcourt?
Thanks, to whoever can pull the video.

Rule is the same:

Rule 4, Section V
d. A ball being dribbled is (1) in the frontcourt when the ball and both feet of the player are in the frontcourt, (2) in the backcourt if the ball or either foot of the player is in the backcourt.

Thanks, APG. They missed this one, and the commentators were just as incorrect in their assessment.

Haven't seen the video, but it looks like the NBA rule regarding when the ball gains frontcourt status during a dribble is the same as NFHS and NCAA. Rule is 4-V-d. If the shot clock hit 16 before he got the ball across, it might have been an eight-second violation rather than a BC violation.

Violation is at 15...not 16. ;)

Case play 98 explicitly verifies what you're saying, but it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me logically. If I'm not mistaken, the clock doesn't count down a second until a second has completed, right? Otherwise the clock would immediately go to 23 when it's started. So that would mean that one second has elapsed when the clock goes to 23, two have elapsed when it goes to 22, etc. That would mean that the moment the clock reads 16, eight seconds have elapsed. On the same token, NCAAM officials are looking for continued BC status when the shot clock says 25 (as opposed to 24), right?

When the NBA went to showing tenths of a second with 5 seconds or less on the shot clock, they changed the way their clocks count down. Here's a video to clear it up:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Hc94dxKWrt8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Watching live I thought this was a 100% violation at first. It really throws you off cuz Blake is able to keep the dribble from hitting the floor for so long you have to be extremely patient to see where the ball becomes established. Plus, I think Lead made the call even though the play was behind him. It could have been C, but I do remember the calling official being almost 10 feet in front of the play.

You remembered it correctly. Tony Brothers came back and grabbed that from the lead. Double whammy.

That makes sense. Thanks for sharing!