Interesting article from a strange source. Area code 304, got to be somewhere over by the WV state line area. 

I am going to check with my officials over here in Indiana RE the 3 second rule. Never saw that interpretation in the casebook. That interpretation follows the 5 second closely guarded rule. Never heard it applied to 3 seconds. 


 www.bordaslaw.com/blog/2014/02/the-most-misunderstood-rules-in-basketball-stop-yelling-at-the-officials-youre-wrong.shtml

Thanks, borna, for an interesting read.

Here's the excerpt from the article that I consider the most misunderstood rule.  In essence, you can't travel until you actually have control of the ball.  I've heard fans yell "traveling" when a guy who is fumbling the ball takes a step or two and is not called for traveling.  Here's what the article says about that situation:

Well, I actually saw something close to this in a MAC game that -- correctly -- wasn't called.  I can't remember whether this was us or the other team, but a player gets a defensive rebound.  He throws the ball to a teammate who is running down the court but not expecting the pass.  The ball hits him in the back near the shoulder blade and with its spin climbs up his back close to the neck, then the ball just sits there and bounces a time or two off his shoulder as he continues to run.  He then reaches back swats the ball from the hand that is behind his head to his other hand that is in front.  The ball rolls off the front hand and bounces several times.  By the time he retrieves it he's in position for a layup. All legal . . . but really strange.  

I resisted commenting that you probably knew him 695... I would have put money on it...

Somewhat on this topic, Chris Paul of the Clippers made a terrifically heady play last night.

The rule is 10 seconds, but rarely enforced. I've only seen a violation called one time in my life. A player was purposely stalling so the coach could continue giving instruction to his team before the shot attempt. It was pretty funny when it was finally called.

I remember my HS coach always getting upset with refs on over-the-back calls. We were blessed to have three kids over 6'6" in our starting lineup in a historically small league where the tallest player was normally 6'2" or shorter. We would always get called for over the back, even though our guy was just simply taller than the other guy and reached up to grab the ball. It punishes the player for being tall. Simple as that.

The over the back thing has always driven me crazy. WHen Muncie Central saw Greg Oden in 2 consecutive State Finals fans kept yelling "over the back". Tommy was our TALLEST guy, Oden was reaching over without contact. Perfectly legal....but trying to explain that to those folk is nigh on impossible.  Bearcats had no answer for that one. Oden used his arms to gain leverage and delivered some pretty strong blows that hurt like hell and were never called....but he could pluck a rebound off the top and never touch a soul.



The 3 seconds drives me crazy ....not when the shot is up but when there is a guard out front weaving around and the post player establishes himself deep in the key....all 3 refs are focused on their areas but no one is taking care of the key. When the entry pass comes or the rebound comes off the player has been camped out in there for a long time. Puts the defensive big at such a disadvantage because there was no count. A guy like NDour who is getting beasted often is doing so against a bigger guy because the offense in the middle has had time to establish himself deep. That call and the fact taht you have to remind refs (which you can do from MOnroe's Bobcat Black seats) out front that 5 seconds starts not 6 seconds in but when the guy received the ball. I get the fact thtat the count restarts with changes but if you are not counting at the outset the 5 sec (and 3 second) rule is not a factor. in the case of 3 seconds the history goes back to George Mikan and his ability ot camp out in front of the rim and receive the ball deep in the lane. So the intent should carry forward and those guys who are camping out in there should not gain the advantage.

As for the free throws....in college most pretty good refs you will see standing at FT line extended once the player gets the ball  counting the 10 secs with their arm just like they do on the in bounds baseline.