No replies to this topic

[Steve McNeill]

The article below was written by Debbie Williamson, NCAA Women's Basketball Secretary Rules Editor.  Debbie is a past member of Harnett Johnston Officials Association and Triangle Officials Association.

I Didn't Know What I Didn't Know

I knew the rules or, at least, I thought I did. And then I became a referee and read the
rules book for the first time. I thought I knew the rules only to find out that ?I didn?t
know what I didn?t know.? The following are quotes that could be heard coming from me
during my short coaching career. As a referee, I heard these same quotes spoken from
other coaches as well.

- Debbie Williamson, NCAA Women's Basketball Secretary Rules Editor

I Didn?t Know What I Didn?t Know

As a former Louisiana Tech women?s basketball player, I was on the fast track to a collegiate
coaching career. I had been a part of four Women?s Final Four teams with two National
Championships on my resume?, spent three summers playing basketball overseas, coached junior
high and high school teams while I finished my Master?s Degree, was working camps and
networking to land that perfect coaching job. I jumped right in as a Division I assistant coach
and stayed there for five years. I traveled, recruited, scheduled, tracked grades, organized
summer camps, exchanged film, watched film and coached when I could get off the road in time
to make a game. Rules? Who had time to read the rules? Besides, I had played the game at a
high level, spent hours evaluating game film and was in the gym year round. I knew the rules
or, at least, I thought I did. And then I became a referee and read the rules book for the first
time. I thought I knew the rules only to find out that ?I didn?t know what I didn?t know.? The
following are quotes that could be heard coming from me during my short coaching career. As a
referee, I heard these same quotes spoken from other coaches as well.

?That can?t be a charge! She was moving her feet!?

BELIEF: A defender?s feet must be ?set? or ?still? when the offensive player contacts her for it to
be a charge.

FACT: A defender?s feet do not have to be still/set for it to be a charge.

RULE: To maintain a legal guarding position after an initial position has been attained the guard
(4-33.6):
- is not required to continue having the torso face the opponent
- is required to have either one foot or both feet on the playing court (cannot be out of bounds)
- may raise hands or may jump within her own vertical plane
- may shift to maintain guarding position in the path of the dribbler, provided the guard does not
charge into the dribbler or otherwise cause the contact
- may move laterally or obliquely to maintain position provided such a move is not toward the
opponent
- may turn to duck or absorb when contact by the dribbler is imminent

?That was backcourt! The ball crossed over and then back!?

BELIEF: A player cannot dribble the ball into her frontcourt and then dribble it backwards into
the backcourt.

FACT: Until a dribbler has all three points (the ball and both feet) in her frontcourt, she is
allowed to:
- dribble in her frontcourt while standing in her backcourt.
- she can straddle the line dribbling in the frontcourt and then dribble back into her backcourt.
- she can stand with both feet in her frontcourt while dribbling in her backcourt then dribble until
both feet are in the backcourt.

RULE: During a dribble from backcourt to frontcourt, the ball shall be in the frontcourt when
both feet of the dribble and the ball touch the playing court entirely in the front court (4-28.3.c)

?Three seconds! She?s been in the lane the whole time!?

BELIEF: A three second violation should be called anytime an offensive player is in the threesecond
lane for more than three seconds.

FACT: There is no three second count during a try for goal, a dribble to the basket, a rebound or
when the ball is in the backcourt.

RULE(S): A player shall not be permitted to have any part of his or her body remain in the
three-second lane for more than three consecutive seconds while the ball is in control of that
player?s team in his or her front court (9-9.1). There is no team control on a try for goal after the
ball is in flight (4-13.4.c). Allowance shall be made for a player who, having been in the threesecond
lane for less than three seconds, dribbles or moves in immediately to try for a field goal
(9-9.2).

?She?s over the back!?

BELIEF: Reaching over a player?s back and grabbing the ball is a foul.

FACT: As long as a player jumps within her vertical plane and does not displace her opponent,
she is allowed to reach over or around another player to grab the ball. There is a difference
between ?over the back? and ?on the back?. If a player holds or displaces while reaching over, then
it is a foul. Otherwise, players have the freedom to reach into another?s vertical plane and get the
ball provided they maintain verticality and do not displace or hold. There is a difference between
?over the back? and ?on the back?.

RULE: The hands and arms of the defender may be raised within her vertical plane while the
defender is on the playing court or in the air (4-53; 4-70.c). See also the criteria for illegal
contact on rebounds located on page 21 of the rules book.

?She can?t pass to herself!?

BELIEF: If a player shoots and misses, she is not allowed to retrieve the ball.

FACT: If a player shoots and misses, she is allowed to retrieve the ball. If, in the judgment of
the official, it was a try for goal then the player is allowed to retrieve the missed shot. No matter
how poor of a shot it was! If, in the official?s judgment, it was a pass then the player has
violated. A missed shot is not a pass. There is a difference between a try and a pass and by rule
they are treated differently.

RULE: A try for goal is an attempt by a player to score two or three points by throwing or
tapping the ball into his or her basket (4-67.1). A try shall end when the throw is successful, it is
certain the throw is unsuccessful, when the thrown ball touches the floor or when the ball
becomes dead (4-67.3).

?That?s a travel!?

BELIEF: When a player fumbles a pass and retrieves it, she has traveled.

FACT: A player can lose the ball accidentally and recover it.

RULE: A fumble is the accidental loss of player control when the ball unintentionally drops or
slips from a player?s grasp. A fumble may be legally recovered by any player (4-29). A fumble is
not part of a dribble (4-18.4; A.R 78). However, if a player has dribbled then fumbles she can
recover but not dribble again (4-18.4; A.R. 82).

?That?s a moving screen!?

BELIEF: A player that is setting a screen must be still when setting the screen.
FACT: There is a difference between a legal screen, an illegal screen, and a player attempting or
failing to set a screen. The mere fact that someone who is attempting to set a screen is moving
isn?t illegal. There must be contact for it to be illegal.

RULE: A screen is a legal action by any player, offensive or defensive, with or without the ball,
which, without causing contact, delays or prevents an opponent from reaching a desired position
(4-57). Rule 10-23 further outlines the differences between legal and illegal screens. The
screener should not cause the contact but contact is inevitable on a good screen. If there is no
contact, it cannot be a foul for a moving screen.

?That?s a spot throw-in. She traveled!?

BELIEF: A player is not permitted to move her feet when standing out of bounds for a
designated spot throw-in.

FACT: There is no such thing as a travel call on an out of bounds throw-in. On a designated spot
throw-in, a player stands in an imaginary box that is 3 feet wide with unlimited depth. She can
dribble, jump up and down, or run in that area. Because there is no limit to how far she can go
back, she can walk all the way back to the wall. If she fumbles the ball and it rolls out of that
area, she is allowed to go get the ball and come back to that spot to complete the throw-in
provided she can do that within 5 seconds.

RULE: A designated spot shall be 3 feet wide with no depth limitations (4-15.2). Fumbling a
throw-in can be found in Rule 7-6.5; A.R. 163.

?She wasn?t shooting! How can that be a shooting foul??

BELIEF: There must be a shot taken for a player to be awarded two free throws for a shooting
foul.

FACT: The shot doesn?t have to be released for a shooter to be awarded two free throws for a
shooting foul.

RULE: A try shall start when the player begins the motion that habitually precedes the release of
the ball on a try. The ball does not need to leave the player?s hand. The arm might be held so
that the player cannot throw; however, he or she may be making an attempt (4-67.2).

?There is no continuous motion in this game! This isn?t the NBA!?

BELIEF: When a player is fouled while in the act of shooting a lay-up, the shot should not be
counted because that is continuous motion and we do not have a rule allowing continuous
motion.

FACT: There is continuous motion in NCAA women?s basketball as per Rule 4-12.

RULE: Continuous motion applies to a try for goal or free throw, but shall have no significance
unless there is a foul by the defense during the interval that begins when the habitual throwing
movement starts a try or with the touching on a tap and ends when the ball is clearly in flight (4-
12).

Now you know what I didn?t know. It took years as a spectator, parent and official to understand
that knowing the rules empowers coaches, players, spectators, media, game management,
administrators and officials. Knowing the rules serves to educate and believe it or not, relieves
stress. When we come to better understand what is legal and illegal, the stress involved in
debating irrelevant issues is minimized. That knowledge also strengthens relevant arguments and
enhances credibility. Everyone benefits when people know the rules of the game and no matter
what the game, knowledge is power.