As British Columbia Boys' and Girls' High School Basketball Associations make the transition to FIBA rules the "Understanding the Rules" section of The Coaches Clipboard will focus on the differences between FIBA rules and the NCAA rules used in the past.

Question: What are the rules for contact on an offensive post player with the ball and their back to the basket?  Is there any difference between the NCAA rules and FIBA rules in regard to this contact?

Answer: There is a difference between the two sets of rules.  The NCAA does not allow contact on the post player who is in control of the ball at any time.  FIBA allows one point of contact … arm bar / hand / leg … when the post player has the ball and has his/her back to the basket.  The key is dislodgement.  If either the defender or post player dislodges their opponent; a foul shall be called.  Should the post player turn and face the basket, then no contact is permitted.

Question: If a ball rolls along the top of the backboard is the ball still in play? If the ball goes over the backboard and touches nothing is the ball still in play?

Answer: The top of the backboard is in-bounds at all times.  The ball is permitted to pass over the backboard at any time … even from an in-bounds throw-in.  Only the backside of the backboard and any of its supports shall be deemed out-of-bounds.  To simplify this situation, players should only react to the officials’ whistle and not because the ball passes over the backboard.