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Backcourt Rule

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What is the Backcourt Rule?

Backcourt Rule

Once an offensive team crosses half court with the ball, the court is essentially cut in half for the offense. The half court line now acts almost like an out-of-bounds line, but only for the offense. Only if a defender knocks the ball back across half court is an offensive player then allowed to legally enter the back court with the ball. The ball is considered in the front court only when the offensive player with the ball has both feet over the center line. So, if a teammate is already in the frontcourt(both feet and the ball over half court) and passes to a teammate who is not yet legally in the frontcourt, then that is a backcourt violation.

   

Comments

5/19/2009 8:03:26 AM
Rose said:

Great Tip!


8/26/2009 1:22:34 AM
Ben said:

The ruling on that has changed recently in the FIBA rule book, now a player who is dribbling the ball is not in the front court until both feet and the ball are in the frontcourt, this allows the dribbler to return to the backcourt, you can not pass to a teammate who is straddling the centre line as this is still a violation, once a dribbler has crossed the line the normal cross-court rule applies.

also interesting to note a defender now may jump from his/her front court intercept the pass and land in his/her backcourt without being penalised for Backcourt rule.


8/26/2009 8:15:29 PM
Brian said:

good info Ben


9/13/2009 8:48:56 AM
Ben said:

Always happy to give a hand, especially in the rules section


2/19/2010 1:05:17 AM
Steve said:

if the player establishes both feet and the ball in the frontcourt then retreats w/ the ball and the players' feet are in the backcourt but the ball is not ... is that backcourt?


2/22/2010 8:35:26 AM
Brian said:

Yes, that would be a backcourt violation because the offensive player has established himself in the front court.


2/22/2010 11:03:14 PM
Chris said:

what is the offensive player moves to the front court and the ball is tipped by the defensive player. A loose ball scramble ensues and the offensive player contacts the ball then it rolls in the backcourt and is recovered by the offensive player? Hope this makes sense


2/23/2010 8:24:40 AM
Brian said:

Once it is "tipped" by a defender, it is offically a loose ball. Until the offensive player actually regains possession, it would not be a backcourt violation. So in your scenario, no, this would not be a backcourt violation.


2/27/2010 1:59:38 PM
Vince said:

Is a player considered in the front court if both feet are on the line and is dribbling the ball in the front court? Or do both feet have to be entirely in the front court?


3/1/2010 4:17:20 PM
Brian said:

Both feet with the ball, so in your scenario the front court has not yet been established, you could still go to either the back court or front court legally.


3/1/2010 4:20:06 PM
Vicky said:

What if the player cross over to the front court and he/she backup while dribbling and just one foot is in the backcourt, is this considered a backcourt violation?


3/1/2010 4:21:21 PM
Brian said:

Yes, once you have established front court, i.e. having both feet and the ball, then essentially the court is now cut in half. If the ball or any part of your body touches the half court, it's a violation.


3/11/2010 9:13:48 PM
Mick said:

When is the ball considered in the front court for the purposes of determining front court status(assuming both feet have completely crossed the center line)? If a player picks up his dribble, has two feet in front court, but is holding the ball either completely behind or over the center line, does he still have back court status?


3/13/2010 11:08:40 PM
Brian said:

Yes, in the example you've given, the player has established front court status. Both feet, possession of the ball. Those are the requirements.


3/14/2010 3:36:43 PM
Michele said:

offense inbounds in the front court, offensive player tips the ball and recovers it in the back court. would this be back court


3/16/2010 8:15:01 AM
Brian said:

Technically that would not be a backcourt violation because full possession has not been established in the front court.


3/28/2010 10:46:41 PM
Billy said:

If you look at the shot clock, should it be at 24 seconds in NCAA men basketball for it to be a 10 second back court violation? We had a discussion that the shot clock starts at 35.0 and others said it is at 35.9 meaning when it shows 25, then it should be a violation. I'm pretty sure the shot clock technically should have to be at 24. Any help would be appreciated.


3/29/2010 8:20:47 AM
Brian said:

Yes, the clock should hit 24 for it to be a violation. It starts with a 35 second clock.


5/21/2010 9:14:59 AM
Joe said:

If 1 offensive player passes a ball to another offensive player and the ball is tipped by a defensive player ... the ball hits the 2nd offensive players foot and goes into the back court and is recovered by the 2nd offensive player ... is this a back court violation?


5/21/2010 10:14:13 PM
Brian said:

No, as soon as the defender tips the ball, it's loose, meaning no one has possession. Once it bounces off the 2nd offensive player, there is no possession so it's not a backcourt violation.


5/21/2010 10:14:13 PM
Brian said:

No, as soon as the defender tips the ball, it's loose, meaning no one has possession. Once it bounces off the 2nd offensive player, there is no possession so it's not a backcourt violation.


7/7/2010 5:08:21 AM
Rockey said:

this rule is still there or not?


7/9/2010 8:03:03 PM
Dale said:

A1 is close to the half line and receives a pass from A2 and without dribbling one foot is stepped into the front court and steps back into the back court (pivots) is this considered a back court violation


7/11/2010 6:26:33 PM
Brian said:

Technically it wouldn't be, but i've seen many officials make this call incorrectly. It looks like a backcourt violation, but because the offensive player has not established himself in the front court, it would not be a backcourt violation. Good question though.


7/24/2010 6:46:23 PM
Rocky said:

What if offense has possession in the front court, defense steals the ball and takes possession, then offense tips the ball into the backcourt without regaining possession until retrieving the ball in the backcourt. Is this a violation?


7/28/2010 12:45:34 AM
Brian said:

That would not be a violation because the offense has not established front court possession, since the defense has gained possession, even if it was only for a brief moment. So it couldn't be a violation, but good question.


11/9/2010 10:47:17 PM
DP said:

Offensive player with possession in back court lobs a pass into the front court, but prior to touching receiver (other offensive player) 10 seconds have expired. I know this to be a back court violation... is that the case?


11/16/2010 11:59:34 AM
Brian said:

No, it's not a backcourt violation, but it is a ten second violation. ball has to be across mid court before the count reaches 10.


11/19/2010 3:49:00 PM
Nate said:

Here's one that happend this morning:
Offense inbounds after a made basket. The inbounds pass is intercepted by the defense in their own front court near the half court line(same hoop where the basket was just made). Both feet are in the "front court" but the player who incepted the ball passes it to his teamate who is "back court." Can this be a back court violation since they were never back court to begin with?


11/22/2010 11:33:10 AM
Brian said:

You state in your question that both players feet were in the front court when he caught, then he threw it in the backcourt. So this would be a backcourt violation because frontcourt position was established.


12/10/2010 9:52:12 PM
Russ said:

Scenario: Offensive player 1 brings ball into the front court, then turns to pass it to offensive player 2 (who is still in backcourt). However, player 2 realizes he is not yet across midcourt, so he jumps up -- while in the air (both feet off the floor) player 2 catches the ball, landing with both feet in the front court. Is this a backcourt violation?


12/11/2010 2:25:01 AM
Brian said:

Yes, it would be a backcourt violation. Think of the backcourt as if it was out of bounds at this point. If a player jumped from out of bounds, would he have to have both feet inbounds before he touched the ball?...yes
Same thing would apply for this scenario.


12/20/2010 9:19:39 AM
Dave said:

I hope this scenario makes sense: After a made basket the ball is inbounded. That player tries a lob to a teammate in the frontcourt. The teammate jumps over the sideline, while in the air throws the ball back to the player who is still in the backcourt...Backcourt or not?


12/22/2010 1:35:33 AM
Brian said:

The sideline is out of bounds. If the player jumped from the sideline, he would have to reestablish himself back in bounds before he could touch it, so this would be a turnover.


1/8/2011 5:31:35 AM
Lisa said:

what if offense is in front court and a pass goes off the hands of an offender into the back court but the ball then hits the leg of the defender and is bought back to front court, and is then touched by offense in the front court. the ball was never touched by the offense in the back court. would you call this backcourt?


1/9/2011 1:43:51 AM
Sean said:

I had this scenario happen in my game yesterday. My point guard was bringing the ball up the court and lost control of the ball. The ball stayed in the backcourt as he (both feet) went across the half court line. He retreated back across and kept dribbling the basketball. Ref called this a back court violation. I argued that because the ball never crossed the half court line, he shouldn't have called it. He told me that I was wrong and that he could get out the official rule book and read the rule for me. Who is right?


1/9/2011 4:01:22 PM
Dan said:

Offensive player has ball in front court, as pressure ensues the offense passes to a teammate who has not yet reached half court. that offensive player jumps from back court to front court while recieving the pass, with the ball never crossing the imaginary vertical line that is half court. Why and if so, would this be considered over and back? We had this ruled as O&B today and I believe since the ball did not ever cross over mid court it therefore could not be a backcourt violation...


1/21/2011 9:27:18 AM
Billy said:

Player with the ball in the back court passes to a player who has left the front court and is in the air when he catches the ball but lands in the back court? Does front court have to be established before you can have a backcourt violation?


1/23/2011 4:32:49 PM
Denton said:

The new U of Oregon basketball court has no visible half court line. How does a player or referee know when a back court violation has occurred?


1/30/2011 5:33:45 PM
John said:

From the front court, offensive player A1 makes a bad pass to A2 and the ball goes into the back court. Now in the back court, defensive player B1 chases the rolling ball and it touches his leg (but he never gets possession). A2 then picks up the ball. Does play continue or is this now a back court violation? I called it a back court violation because defense (B1) never got possession, but looking back I think I got it wrong. Thanks.


3/12/2011 12:17:25 AM
fdgjksdfh said:

when a player has the ball in front court and throws it in the air and another player jumps from back court to front court lads with the ball in front court is this a back court violation

Yes - where a players feet left is where they are legally considered. In your example the player left in the backcourt-caught the ball-and then landed in front court so it's a violation


3/23/2011 9:05:49 PM
jeff said:

I need help. During the S.U. vs. marquette gage with <2 min to go SU player passed the ball from out of bounds in the front court and SU player caught the ball with toe on half court line. It was ruled a violation. Why? Can't the ball be thrown into the back court from out of bounds and retrieved in the back court...isn't this the same as a toe on the half line?

You are 100% right. The NCAA Director of Officials put out a statement the next day saying that it was an error by the official and no violation occurred. unfortunate for Syracuse
~Coach Lok


3/29/2011 4:35:18 AM
Jack Anderson said:

What if the player cross over to the front court and he/she backup while dribbling and just one foot is in the backcourt, is this considered a backcourt violation?

Once both feet and the ball are in the front court neither foot or the ball may go into the backcourt (which includes the line)

~Coach Lok


3/29/2011 4:35:49 AM
Jack Anderson said:

What if the player cross over to the front court and he/she backup while dribbling and just one foot is in the backcourt, is this considered a backcourt violation?


4/28/2011 1:03:40 PM
David said:

What if ball is inbounded from the frontcourt and caught in the frontcourt, but not dribbled. Can it be passed to the backcourt?

~Once the ball and both feet are in the frontcourt it cannot be passed into the backcourt
Coach Lok


6/12/2011 12:05:09 AM
Jack said:

its really good and helpful


6/13/2011 2:06:50 PM
Matt said:

Brian may have answered this question before, but not sure:

Offense has established front court possession. Offensive player1 passes to offensive player2. Offensive player2 never secures ball and it's tipped away by a defender. In the continuing struggle offensive player2 tips the ball away and it rolls into the back court where offensive player1 regains control. Is this a back court violation. The defender never has possession.


6/23/2011 12:59:17 PM
KENZIE said:

IS THERE A THREE POINT RULE?


7/13/2011 1:42:14 AM
John said:

On a sideling inbound. If the ball is thrown in and the receiver jumps from the frontcourt to the backcourt while catching the ball in the air. Is that a backcourt violation.


9/14/2011 7:31:14 AM
steve said:

If an offence player catches the ball with one foot in the back court and one in the front court,can he lift the front court foot, still be in the back court then, but not cause aa back court turnover/


9/26/2011 9:40:17 PM
Larry said:

If an offensive rebounder tips it into the backcourt on a rebound and no one else touches it, is it a backcourt violation?


10/4/2011 7:00:43 AM
bobina of vladville said:

once the ball and both of your feet are in the frontcourt. It cannot be passed into the backcourt.


10/15/2011 2:44:38 AM
Jroc said:

Coach,

Half court game.
Behind the three point line is back court.
Offense has the ball in the back court.
Defense player, inside the line (fore court), steals the ball.
Then dribbles once or twice in back court, but his feet are still in the fore court, then he turns drives to the hope, out pacing all defenders and scores.

Should the basket be awarded to the original offense or the upity defensive player.

thnks coach, jrc


10/22/2011 11:19:23 AM
larry said:

the ball is in tEAM a's backcourt when a1,while holding the ball,is stradding the division line. true or false


10/22/2011 5:19:10 PM
nate said:

What if they pass the ball back but I'm in air while I jump across and maintain passion in the front court


10/29/2011 1:35:37 PM
Melissa said:

We had a situation today. Our girl tossed the ball in one of ours girls tipped it into the back court and our other player went and got the ball and was called for backcourt violation. It was said first touch last touch. We never had position of the ball


11/27/2011 4:49:27 AM
Maggie88 said:

what if offensive player 1, crosses the midcourt, makes a bad pass to offensive player 2, hitting her in the leg and the ball bounces into back court. Can an offensive player run into back court for the loose ball or if they do, is this a backcourt violation? Thanks


12/2/2011 12:23:30 AM
kevin said:

what if a player stops and has one foot on each side and pivots back and forth with there foot


12/2/2011 4:23:01 PM
Doug said:

This did happen recently and was ruled a backcourt violation...curious of your thoughts: An offensive player attempts to tip a missed shot back to his guard near the midcourt line. So the ball was tipped out however the offensive guard can't get to the ball in time before the ball crosses the midcourt line. The defense never touched the ball either. Is this considered a back court violation even though neither team had established possesion since it was a loose ball (rebounding opportunitiy)? Or is a tip considered possesion and therefore a back court violation?


12/2/2011 10:40:56 PM
Ethan said:

Brian is incorrect in a few of the scenarios above. If player A1, who is in the frontcourt, has the ball knocked away by B1, which then hits A2 and goes into the backcourt, it is a backcourt violation if A is first to touch the ball.

Why? Because they still had "team" possession of the ball. Doesn't seem right, but that's the rule (at least in HS, not sure about college and pro).

NFHS Rule Book. Rule 9.9.1.
NFHS Case Book. Rule 9.9.1 Situation C.


12/4/2011 6:22:48 PM
Rick said:

A,B and C are on the same team. Player A shoots and misses, player B never gets control of the rebound, but tips it (hard) and it goes all the way into the back court. Player C chases down the ball and gets possession. Is this a violation?


12/14/2011 10:34:38 PM
Carlo said:

What if the ball is passed from backcourt to midcourt with receiving player catching the ball and then straddling the center court line. The receiving player then passes the ball into the backcourt. Is that a backcourt violation?


12/22/2011 10:04:43 PM
kwh said:

Great discussion! I saw this called correctly the other day and was very refreshing...As the offensive player got to half-court she stopped with the ball and front foot in the front court. Her back foot was only half-way across the line when she passed it to another offensive player in the back court. The defensive coach was livid but the official kept his calm and explained the rule to him at the next break in play. Great Job Ref!


1/8/2012 10:39:50 PM
BA said:

is an offensive player bobbling a ball in transition open to be called for traveling? Does bobbling a ball represent possession?
How can a player be called for traveling if they have no control of the ball?


1/9/2012 4:12:47 AM
Samara said:

Once an offensive team crosses half court with the ball, the court is essentially cut in half for the offense. The half court line now acts almost like an out-of-bounds line, but only for the offense xxxxx<3


1/11/2012 9:53:32 AM
Brent said:

On a missed shot an offensive player tips the ball into the backcourt and another offensive player retrieves the ball from the backcourt. Is this a violation? What if it is a controlled tip by the offensive player? No defensive player touches the ball on either tip.


1/17/2012 7:42:23 PM
Derek said:

What if a player goes to dunk the ball and slams it so hard into the back of the rim that it flies into the back-court. Then the offensive team tracks it down. Is this a back-court violation?


1/23/2012 12:11:41 PM
Fred said:

Scenario. Team A is bringing the ball up the court after a made shot. Player A1 (still in the backcourt) throws to player A2 who at the the time is in the front court but cames back to meet the ball, Jumps from the front court, catches the ball in the air before the ball crosses the half line and lands in the back court? is this a back-court violation?


1/23/2012 12:17:28 PM
Fred said:

Scenario. Team A is bringing the ball up the court after a made shot. Player A1 (still in the backcourt) throws to player A2 who at the the time is in the front court but cames back to meet the ball, Jumps from the front court, catches the ball in the air before the ball crosses the half line and lands in the back court? is this a back-court violation?


1/23/2012 12:37:05 PM
Fred said:

Scenario. Team A is bringing the ball up the court after a made shot. Player A1 (still in the backcourt) throws to player A2 who at the the time is in the front court but cames back to meet the ball, Jumps from the front court, catches the ball in the air before the ball crosses the half line and lands in the back court? is this a back-court violation?


1/25/2012 4:17:44 PM
Joe Schmoo said:

Thanks Ethan This answer was driving me crazy - I was hoping someone would correct this!

"Brian is incorrect in a few of the scenarios above. If player A1, who is in the frontcourt, has the ball knocked away by B1, which then hits A2 and goes into the backcourt, it is a backcourt violation if A is first to touch the ball.

Why? Because they still had "team" possession of the ball. Doesn't seem right, but that's the rule (at least in HS, not sure about college and pro).

NFHS Rule Book. Rule 9.9.1.
NFHS Case Book. Rule 9.9.1 Situation C. "


1/29/2012 7:35:58 PM
dex said:

hello can you give situation example of calling ball return to the back court.....


1/31/2012 11:26:00 PM
Steve bowser said:

My point guard dribbles across into the forecourt and the ball is dribbled off defenders foot back to the backcourt. My point guard retrieves the ball. Is this a backcourt violation?


2/8/2012 9:13:57 PM
rrrrrich said:

I had the same situation occur as Fred mentioned above in his 12:11 post. Player A jumped from the front court to receive a pass from a teammate, Player B, who was still in the backcourt. Player A hadn't established his position in the backcourt before catching the pass. Ref said Player A's feet had to be established in backcourt before possessing ball in backcourt. The ball never advanced past center court line before he caught it, so it doesn't matter where the offensive player's feet were before he caught it, correct?


2/21/2012 12:24:39 AM
Steve said:

Say the ball is inbounded from underneath the basket by the offensive team on their offensive side of the court. The pass lands short of half court (on the offensive side) and an offensive player retrieves it in the backcourt. Is this a backcourt violation? And does the same thing apply from a sidelines play?


5/30/2015 1:15:20 AM
Ruben said:

If a player on the run got a pass from the backcourt but the player receiving the pass didnt reach to the point of having his two feet in the front court one foot on either side when he got the pass is that backcourt violation in fiba rules?


7/1/2015 12:53:42 AM
John said:

If a player in his front court passes ball to another player who is airborne from the back court, is this a back court violation if the player is airborne when touching the ball?




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