ALBERTA BASKETBALL OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION

ABOA Members,

As we are just past the halfway point in the ACAC season and nearing the January exambreak in the ASAA season it is time for an update on some rule interpretations and mechanicsissues that have arisen since we started play this season.

ASAA

Uniforms: The FIBA rule prohibiting players from wearing T-shirts does

NOT

apply to highschool play.

FIBA RULE CHANGES – ALL LEVELS

We have received the most questions in regards to rule 36.1.4. The questions are in twoareas. The first question has to do with the situations related to an offensive player beingfouled during a fast break by the last Team B defender. If the contact is ruled to be a foul

andthe player has not begun “

the continuous movement normally preceding the release of theball … an attempt to score by throwing, tapping or dunking the ball towards the opponents’basket” then the action is to be considered an unsportsmanlike foul.If the offensive player has begun the continuous movement as described in rule 15.2 then theaction by the defender is to be considered a shooting foul and the normal penalties will apply.This call shouldn’t be happening all that often and officials should be careful not to apply adifferent standard when judging contact on a fast break then it other open floor situations.Remember the principles of speed, balance, quickness and rhythm must be used whenevaluating contact on any dribbler.The second part of rule 36.1.4 has to do with contact initiated by the defensive team during athrow-in. If the ball has not left the inbounder’s hands and a foul is called then by rule it mustbe an unsportsmanlike foul. This is an interpretation that can be found in the 2008 FIBAinterpretations. Officials must be prepared and see the whole play. The penalty here is quitesevere given the circumstances so officials need to have a patient whistle and not be tooquick to immediately blow the whistle. Make sure that the offensive team has been clearlydisadvantaged and the foul completely prevents the throw in from being released.Please read Fred Horgan’s comments on some the other new rule changes. Fred is a memberof the FIBA technical commission and has a great deal of involvement in the writing of therules.

Art. 25.2.3: If a player who is holding the ball losses his/her balance and falls to thefloor and that player’s momentum causes that person to slide before coming to a stop,no travel violation has been committed

The key to interpreting this change is the allusion to sliding. For some time it has been legalin FIBA for a player

who loses balance to fall to the floor. With the new rule, a player whoends a dribble or receives the ball while quickly moving and then loses balance, fallsinadvertently and slides to a stop does not commit a violation.

ALBERTA BASKETBALL OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION

Art. 28.1.3: If a player is dribbling from the backcourt to the frontcourt, the ball doesnot enter the frontcourt until both feet of the player as well as the ball are touching thefrontcourt.

For a player who is holding the ball rather than dribbling it, there is no change in the rulefrom previous years.

If that person is touching the frontcourt only, then the ball is in the frontcourt.

If he/she is touching the backcourt only, then the ball is in the backcourt.

If the player is straddling the centre line (i.e., touching both courts), then the status of the ball is determined by the direction it came from. If it came from the backcourt,then it is now in the frontcourt, and vice versa.The rule change only concerns a dribbler who is moving from backcourt to frontcourt.

Art. 30.1.2: Ball returned to backcourt

If a player establishes team control while airborne, that player’s status relative to the floor(backcourt/frontcourt) will not be established until the player returns both feet to the floor.Normally, a player who is airborne retains and who receives the ball is considered to have thesame status relative to the floor as when that last was touching the floor before jumping.This generated two unfair situations.

If a player were to leap into the air from his/her backcourt to intercept a break-outpass by the opponents and then land so as to touch the backcourt, this was consideredan illegal return of the ball to the backcourt. A good defensive play was therebynegated.

If an airborne player, on the jump ball, were to jump from his/her frontcourt, establishcontrol of the legally tapped ball and then land in the backcourt, this too waspreviously an illegal return of the ball to the backcourt.The new rule now establishes these two situations as exceptions. The key to the change isthat the airborne player must be establishing team control. If, for example, team A hadalready established team control and a team A player were to be involved in either of thesesituations, a violation would occur.

MECHANICS - ALL LEVELS

Reporting numbers:Officials are to use

one hand

when reporting

numbers to the scorekeeper

except for No.’s6,7, 8 and 9.

This would mean that if a team had numbers 10-15 the official would still useone hand and report each digit separately.

Substitutions:

After the horn sounds for a substitution opportunity and prior to beckoning the players ontothe floor the administrating official will sound his/her whistle. If during the same dead ballperiod other substitutes report to the table no further whistles are required. Remember duringa timeout or in the interval between quarters substitutes only need to report to thescorekeeper to enter the game.

End of Quarter:

In two person the Trail and in three person the official facing the table will make thedecision on a last second shot attempt. If a shot occurs just prior to the horn then the callingofficial will

NOT

sound the whistle until the shot has entered the basket or has clearlymissed. If the shot occurs after the horn then the calling official