Expert: Bret Temple - 3/30/2010

Question
QUESTION: This happened Sunday 3/28/10 in the Duke-Baylor game.

The player went to dunk the ball. The dunk failed (it hit the back rim) and bounced up. While the ball was in the air, the would be dunker touched the rim. Ultimately, after the touching the ball went through the basket. No interference was called.

In one of your earlier explanations, you provide for an exception of interference due to touching the rim by the "dunker". Is this why the refs didn't call interference?

ANSWER: HI Nathan ,

I did not see that particular play in the game, so it's hard for me to answer this question. I will see if I can find a replay of it on youtube, and see exactly what your attempting to explain to me.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The replay can be found here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8QtZDUhOW4

ANSWER: Nathan,

Thanks for the link, but the video is no longer available. It must have violated some sort of copyright. Thanks for trying though, I would have liked to see the play and answer your question.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Bret,

I just watched it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8QtZDUhOW4

Note that they show it in real time and then follow with slow motion replays at different angles.

If you can't play it, my description is that Thomas went up for a missed shot catching the ball with his hands below and on the right front side of the rim. The ball was outside of the cylinder, part of the ball was below the rim.

Still rising, Thomas softly throws the ball in an upward trajectory. Simultaneous with the ball hitting the rear of the rim, Thomas on his way down grabs the front of the rim with both hands. He hold for a very short time (maybe .1 seconds). He release the rim and it clearly vibrates back to it's horizontal plane. The ball that hit the back rim bounces up about ten inches, aligns over the cylinder and falls through the basket.

Answer
for some reason, it still won't let me watch it. However, from what I can deduce by your description, as long as the player did not touch the "Ball" while over the cylinder, no violation will be called even if he hung on the rim. The touching of the rim did not create an advantage or disadvantage either way, so it's legal as long as it does not effect the flight or trajectory of the ball. I hope that cleared it up for you.