Whether you’re in game point of pickup basketball at your YMCA or yelling at your TV from your sofa, every basketball fan knows how intense it can get over a debated call. These kinds of plays happen more than you think, and if you want to at least be right when you start arguing, remember these rules and school anyone who says otherwise:
1. “You can’t rebound your own airball!”
Yes, you can. It doesn’t matter whether your shot hits the rim, the backboard, or just air molecules — as long as its an intentional shot, you can be the first person to touch it on a rebound.
2. “Kicked Ball!”
When a player intentionally hits a ball with any part of his or her leg, it counts as a kicked ball. “Intentionally” is a tricky word, but generally a kick is considered intentional whenever a player is moving their foot or has their foot raised when the ball hits it.
3. “You lifted your pivot foot!”
You actually can lift your pivot foot. You just have to shoot or pass before your foot hits the floor again.
4. “You came from out of bounds!”
As long as you touch both feet in bounds, you can do anything, from dribbling to recovering a loose ball, if you were just out of bounds.
5. “Illegal screen!”
An illegal screen is either: set out of bounds, set while moving, or set without giving the offensive player 1 step to avoid it.
6. “Over the back!”
This isn’t a real foul. Unless there is contact, taller players are not penalized for being above someone when they grab a rebound, as long as they don’t make physical contact with the other rebounder that hurts their chances at possessing the ball.
7. “That’s a reach!”
Again, just “reaching” is not a foul unless their is contact with the offensive player that causes him or her to have a disadvantage when trying to dribble, shoot, or pass.
8. “Goaltending!”
Most pickup games probably won’t have Goaltending called, but just know that you can hit the ball any time except for when it’s on its downward trajectory or has hit the backboard on its way to the rim. If the defender hits the rim or net with his hands to affect the basket, then it is a goaltending, but it is totally fine to hit the backboard, even if it disrupts the shot.
9. “Carrying!”
Carrying only occurs when a player holds the ball from the side or underneath. It doesn’t matter how high the ball bounces on the dribble as long as the player has their hand on top of the ball.
10. “Over and back!”
For an over and back to occur, a player has to touch the frontcourt with both feet AND the ball, and then go back to the backcourt with their feet or the ball.
11. “You lost the ball — that’s a travel!”
If a player fumbles the ball, that is not an automatic travel. They are allowed to pick up the ball and do whatever they’d like besides dribbling.
Thanks for reading!! So now you know the correct rules. Good luck convincing the people with whom you’re arguing, since you don’t always have to be right in order to think you’re right. Feel free to start your own arguments over missed calls in the comments!
