JOINT BASKETBALL COMMITTER
Oswald Tower, Eiitor

Andover, Massachusetts

BULLETIN ON THE 1932-1953 BASKETBALL RULES

Rule 14, Section 12. When a player has possession of the ball in his free throw
lane with his back toward his basket, he must get the ball outside the lane within
three seconds. The three-second limit applies even though he turns toward the bas-
ket. In other words, the three-second count starts as soon as he takes the posi-
tion described, and continues as long as he is in the free throw lane regardless of
whether he is facing the basket during part of the count. This ruling was made by
the Executive Committee of the Joint Basketball Rules Committee October 24 and can-
cels previous interpretations concerning this rule.

Rule 8, Section 8. Failure to comply with the provisions of the ten-second rule
is a violation, involving loss of ball te the opponents. At what point out of
bounds is the ball awarded? If team A fails to get the ball out of its back court
within ten seconds, the ball is awarded to team B out of bounds on the side gppo-
site the point where it is when the official's whistle blows to call the violation,
If team A, having advanced the ball to its front court, returns the ball to its
back court illegally, the violation occurs when the ball passes the center line and
therefore the ball is awarded out of bounds at one end of the center line. The
whistle should not be blown, however, until the ball is touched in the back court
by team A, because if it is first touched by team B it continues in play and the
violation is disregarded. ‘then the bail is passed back over the center line il-
legally by team A and then goes out of bounds in team Ats back court without touch
ing any player, team A has committed two violations. In this case, the ball would
be awarded to team B where it went out of bounds unless team B prefers to have the
ball at mid-court. In other words, team B has an option.

If teem A receives the bail in its front court from an out of ‘beunds pass, te-
gardless of the out of bounds point from which the pass was made, team A may cause
the ball to go back over the center line once. The same is true if team A re¢dives
* ball on a jump ball tap, even though the jump ball may have taken place iy team
A’s back court.

Some teams whose courts are small propose to use the ten-second rule by drawing
two lines across the court, thirty-five or forty feet from either end line, in-
stead of a center line. It is recognized that such a plan is desirable on ‘many
courts and the Committee does not object to it provided it is agreeable to all .
teams which are scheduled to play on the courts which are so changed. State or
sectional associations are authorized to make such special arrangements for teams
under their jurisdiction. ;

November 1, 1932.

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