Everyone remember June’s commission to all officials this year?  MIG – Mind In Game.  I know October may seem light years in the past, but we are still in this season and now, more than ever, we have to have our Mind In the Game.  We have to be ready to make clear decisions on the jump ball.

This week I was officiating a game where a violation occurred on the tip and then I saw a clip from a friend where they had to also make a decision on whether or not there was a back court violation on the tip.  We must know what is legal activity on the initial tip of the game and be ready to blow our whistle as instinctively on that play as we would on an out of bound violation.  It is end of season and every possession counts in every game, every night.  We cannot take plays off mentally.

So these last few games of regular season and the entire post season – be ready on the tip.  As I was doing some refresher on the rules of the jumper, the players around the circle, front court/back court, etc., I came across a great blog from the Illinois High School Athletic Association.  It is a great read on what is and IS NOT a back court violation in high school basketball.

https://www.athletic-officials.com/basketball/advanced-officiating/rule-9-9-backcourt-violation/

Additionally here is a clip of information from the NCAA women’s basketball rule book.  Be ready to name and administer violations from the tip.

Section 9. Jump Ball Art.

1. It is a violation when:

a. The ball is touched by one or both of the jumpers before it reaches its highest point.

b. Either jumper leaves the center circle before the ball has been touched by a jumper, catches the jump ball, or touches it more than twice.

c. When after an official is ready to make the toss, a non-jumper moves onto the center circle or changes position around the center circle before the ball has left the official’s hand.

d. A non-jumper has either foot break the plane of the geometrical cylinder that has the center circle as its base, or any player takes a position in any occupied space before the ball has been touched.

Art. 2. The toss shall be repeated when both teams simultaneously commit violations during a jump ball.

If you have any plays on the tip you would like to share – please share and let us know what you did in the situation.