2009-2010 - Plays of the Week - Week 5
"Working together, we will all get better."

The plays/questions described below occurred recently and are provided for your review and discussion. The rulings given are based on NFHS rules. NCAA rulings may be different.

Play #1 - 4th quarter score: A 53 - B 53...A1 is on the free throw line for 1 free throw with 0.3 sec left in game. A1 misses the attempt, grabs the rebound & and releases the ball on a try before the horn sounds. The ball goes in. The official rules no basket. Was the official correct?

Answer: The official was correct. By rule, in this situation a player may not gain control of the ball and try for a field goal. In this situation only a tap could score. (References: Rule 5.2.5)

Play #2 - When the players came on the floor for the jump ball, one of the visiting players was wearing a long sleeve "Under Armor" type tee shirt under his jersey. It was the same color as the jersey. There were no visible logos on the tee shirt. The referee ruled the undershirt illegal due to the long sleeves and made the player remove it. Was the referee correct?

Answer: The referee was NOT correct. While long sleeves may be unusual, there is no prohibition against them in the rules. The only restrictions on sleeves is that they shall be hemmed and must not have frayed or ragged edges. Also, if sleeves are present on a tee shirt, they must be the same length. (References: Rule 3.5.5)

Play #3 - A1, who is dribbling in his backcourt, throws a pass in the direction of A2 who is in the frontcourt. Unaware of the pass, A2 has his head down when the ball hits him in the head and then bounces into the backcourt where A1 recovers and begins to dribble. The official sounds his whistle and rules a backcourt violation on Team A. Was the official correct?

Answer: The official was correct. By rule, the ball gained frontcourt status when it hit A2 in the head in the frontcourt. Team control has not ended even though the ball is loose. Therefore, a backcourt violation occurs when A1 recovers the ball in the backcourt. (References: Rule 4.12.3, 4.12.4, 9.9.1)

Play #4 - B-1 fouls A-5 during a try. The calling official is informed, prior to the first of two free throws, that the foul is B-1's 5th foul and the calling official informs the coach, timer and player of the disqualification. B-6 comes into the game to sub for B-1. After the first free throw, the scorer informs the calling official, that she mistakenly told the official it was B-1's 5th foul. It was actually his 4th foul. Officials do not allow B-1 back into the game because time has not run off the clock. Were the officials correct?

Answer: The officials were NOT correct. Although Rule 3.3.4 states that a player who has been directed to leave the game shall not re-enter before the next opportunity to substitute after the clock has started, in this case the only reason that B-1 left the game was because of a bookkeeping mistake by the scorer. B-1 should be allowed to return to the game if the coach so desires. (References: Rule 2.3, 2.11.11, NFHS Interpretation)