Overhead obstruction

[Mr.C]

I was in a gym yesterday watching a match and the ball hit [by the receiving team] a basketball goal that was put up into a horizontal position parallel to the ceiling. What is the ruling on this situation?

[chapmaja]

How high was the basketball hoop off the ceiling?

If it was at least 23 feet up, it is part of the ceiling.

Generally this is covered in the pre-match ground rules if it is an issue.

The way we rule in our area on this (HS and Rec League) is if the basketball hoop is in the up position, it is ceiling. If it is in the down position, it is an officials judgment. What I mean by this is that if the ball hits a backboard in the down position and would have gone to hit the wall anyway, or nobody could legally play it, we call it as if it hit the wall. If the ball would have remained in play had it not struck the backboard (someone was in position to play it), or the play itself could have legally returned it to the court) then we blow it dead and replay the point.

[Mr.C]

I would say that it is right at the 20+ mark; thanks for the response----your area's position seems very reasonable, for the future I will certainly remember to mention it in pre-match. the down goal is pretty common down here as most schools at this lower age group don't raise them up for matches. Thanks