“Over the Back” - The Call All Fans and Coaches Beg For

In almost every single basketball game, an official will hear the fans, or even the coaches, say “Over the back, over the back!” But did you know that the screams for an “over the back” whistle isn’t even a rule? “Over the back” is a legal play in the game of basketball.  Specifically the play is when a player jumps over the defensive player to grab a rebound or attempt to rebound the basketball.  But even officials tend to call this a foul, and smart coaches will be fuming by the call.

As an official, we must know what is legal and what is illegal when it comes to these certain situations. If a player is just taller or even more athletic and has a higher vertical jump, the player may reach over another player to get the ball. That being said, that player may not go through the back or on the back.

If a person goes through or on someone’s back, it is the official’s responsibility to call a foul.  Once a foul has been made by an official for a play like this, it’s still not called “over the back.” When reporting this type of foul, it’s either a push or illegal use of hands.

As an official, we must be patient with these types of plays – not all contact is illegal. For beginning officials, it is important to understand the ‘advantage/disadvantage’ concept. If a player doesn’t gain an advantage on the play, then that should be a no call and the play should move on. Illegal contact hinders an opponent from preforming normal defensive and offensive movement, this provides a disadvantage for a player and a foul should be called.

Officials, fans, and coaches should realize that there is no such thing as “over the back” in the game of basketball. Officials adhere to the rules as outlined in the rule book. The fans and coaches should, and probably will, find something else to yell about during a game.