Reprinted with permission of the National Federation of State High School Associations. This material is not to be resold or remarketed.
RULE 4 DEFINITIONS
SECTION 1 AIRBORNE SHOOTER
ART.1...An airborne shooter is a player who has released the ball on a try for a goal or has tapped the ball and has not returned to the floor.
ART.2...The airborne shooter is considered to be in the act of shooting.
SECTION 2 ALTERNATING POSSESSIONAND ARROW
ART.1...Alternating possession is the method of putting the ball in play by a throw-in as outlined in 6-3.
ART.2...The possession arrow is a device located at the scorer's table which is used to indicate the direction of a team's basket for the alternating-possession procedure.
SECTION 3 SETTING DIRECTION OF INITIAL ARROW
Alternating-possession control is established and the initial direction of the possession arrow is set toward the opponent's basket when:
ART.1...A player secures control of the ball, as after the jump ball.
ART.2...The ball is placed at the disposal of the free thrower after a common foul when the bonus free throw is in effect.
ART.3...The ball is placed at the disposal of the thrower after:
a.) A violation during or following the jump before a player secures control.
b.) The free throws for a noncommon foul.
c.) A common foul when the bonus free throw is not in effect.
NOTE: This procedure is used only to establish the alternating-possession procedure. See 6-3 for using the procedure and reversing the possession arrow.
SECTION 4 BALL LOCATION, AT DISPOSAL
ART.1...A ball which is in contact with a player or with the court is in the backcourt if either the ball or the player (either player if the ball is touching more than one) is touching the backcourt.
ART.2...A ball which is in contact with a player is in the frontcourt if neither the ball nor the player is touching the backcourt.
ART.3...A ball which is in flight retains the same location as when it was last in contact with a player or the court.
ART.4...A ball which touches a player or an official is the same as the ball touching the floor at that individual's location.
ART.5...A ball which touches the front faces or edges of the backboard is treated the same as touching the floor inbounds, except that when the ball touches the thrower's backboard it does not constitute a part of the dribble.
ART.6...During a dribblefrom backcourt to frontcourt, the ball is in the frontcourt when the ball and both feet of the dribbler touch the court entirely in the frontcourt.
ART.7...A ball is at the disposal of a player when:
a.) Handed to a thrower or a free thrower.
b.) Caught by a player after it is bounced to him/her.
c.) Placed on the floor at the spot.
d.) Available to a player after a goal.
SECTION 5 BASKET, CHOICE
ART.1...A team's own basket is the one into which its players try to throw the ball.
ART.2...Each team's basket for practice before the game and for the first half shall be the one farther from its bench.
ART.3...The teams shall change baskets for the second half.
ART.4...If by mistake the officials permit a team to go the wrong direction, when discovered all points scored, fouls committed, and time consumed shall count as if each team had gone the proper direction. Play shall resume with each team going the proper direction based on bench location.
SECTION 6 BASKET INTERFERENCE
Basket interference occurs when a player:
ART.1...Touches the ball or any part of the basket while the ball is on or within the basket.
ART.2...Touches the ball while any part of the ball is within the imaginary cyclinder which has the basket ring as its lower base.
ART.3...Reaches through the basket from below and touches the ball before it enters the cylinder.
SECTION 7 BLOCKING, CHARGING
ART.1...Blocking is illegal personal contact which impedes the progress of an opponent with or without the ball.
ART.2...Charging is illegal personal contact caused by pushing or moving into an opponent's torso.
a.) A player who is moving with ball is required to stop or change direction to avoid contact if a defensive player has obtained a legal guarding position in his/her path.
b.) If a guard has obtained a legal guarding position, the player with the ball must get his/her head and shoulders past the torso of the defensive player. If contact occurs on the torso of the defensive player, the dribbler is responsible for the contact.
c.) There must be a reasonable space between two defensive players or a defensive player and a boundary line to allow the dribbler to continue in his/her path. If there is less than 3 feet of space, the dribbler has the greater responsibility for the contact.
d.) The player with the ball may not push the torso of the guard to gain an advantage to pass, shoot or dribble.
SECTION 8 BONUS FREE THROW
ART.1...A bonus free throw is the second free throw awarded for a common foul (except a player control foul) as follows:
a.) Beginning with a team's seventh foul in each half and for the eighth and ninth foul, the bonus is awarded only if the first free throw is successful.
b.) Beginning with a team's 10th foul in each half the bonus is awarded whether or not the first free throw is successful.
NOTE: Rule 2-10-1a, b is applied if a merited free throw is not awarded or an unmerited free throw is awarded.
ART.2...Player-control fouls and technical fouls are counted as team fouls to reach the bonus. When a technical foul is also charged indirectly to the head coach, it counts as only one team foul.
SECTION 9 BOUNDARY LINES
ART.1...Boundary lines of the court consist of endlines and sidelines.
ART.2...The inside edges of these lines define the inbounds and out-of-bounds areas.
SECTION 10 CLOSELY-GUARDED
A closely-guarded situation occurs when a player in control of the ball in his/her team's frontcourt, is guarded by an opponent who is within 6 feet of the player who is holding or dribbling the ball.
SECTION 11 CONTINUOUS MOTION
ART.1...Continuous motion applies to a try or tap for field goals and free throws, but it has no significance unless there is a foul by the defense during the interval which 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.
ART.2...If an opponent fouls after a player has started a try for goal, he/she is permitted to complete the customary arm movement, and if pivoting or stepping when fouled. may complete the usual foot or body movement in any activity while holding the ball. These privileges are granted only when the usual throwing motion has started before the foul occurs and when the ball is in flight.
ART.3...Continuous motion does not apply if a teammate fouls after a player has started a try for a goal and before the ball is in flight. The ball becomes dead immediately.
SECTION 12 CONTROL, PLAYER AND TEAM
ART.1...A player is in control of the ball when he/she is holding or dribbling a live ball inbounds. There is no player control when, during a jump ball, a jumper catches the ball prior to the ball touching the floor or a non-jumper, or during an interrupted dribble.
ART.2...A team is in control of the ball when a player of the team is in control, while a live ball is being passed among teammates and during an interrupted dribble.
ART.3...Team control continues until:
a.) The ball is in flight during a try or tap for goal.
b.) An opponent secures control.
c.) The ball becomes dead.
ART.4...While the ball remains live a loose ball always remains in control of the team whose player last had control, unless it is a try or tap for goal.
ART.5...Team control does not exist during a jump ball or the touching of a rebound, but is re-established when a player secures control.
ART.6...Neither team control nor player control exists during a dead ball, throw-in, a jump ball or when the ball is in flight during a try or tap for a goal.
SECTION 13 COURT AREAS
ART.1...The frontcourt of a team consists of that part of the court between its endline and nearer edge of teh division line, including its basket and the inbounds part of the backboard.
ART.2...The backcourt of a team consists of the rest of the court, including the entire division line and the opponent's basket and inbounds part of the opponent's backboard.
SECTION 14 DISQUALIFIED PLAYER
ART.1...A disqualified player is one who is barred from further participation in the game because of having committed his/her fifth foul (personal and technical), two technical fouls or a flagrant foul.
ART.2...A player is officially disqualified and becomes bench personnel when the coach is notified by an official.
