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Section 15. Basket Interference and Goaltending

Art. 1. It is a violation to commit basket interference or goaltending.

Art. 2. Basket interference

a. Basket interference occurs when a player:

1. Touches the ball or any part of the basket while the ball is on or within the basket;
2. Touches the ball while any part of it is within the cylinder that has the ring as its lower base;
3. Reaches through the basket from below and touches the ball before it enters the cylinder;
4. Pulls down a movable ring so that it contacts the ball before the ring returns to its original position, and
5. Causes the basket or backboard to vibrate when the ball is on or within the basket or the backboard and/or is on or in the cylinder.

b. The cylinder is the imaginary geometric figure that has the ring as its base and is formed by the upward extension of that ring.

c. The ball shall be considered to be within the basket when any part of the ball is below the cylinder and the level of the ring.

d. A player may have a hand legally in contact with the ball, when this contact continues after the ball enters the cylinder or when, during such action, the player touches or grabs the basket.

Art. 3. Goaltending.

a. Goaltending occurs when a defensive player touches the ball during a field-goal try and each of the following conditions is met: (Exceptions: Rule 10-4.1.h)

1. The ball is on its downward flight; and
2. The ball is above the level of the ring and has the possibility, while in flight, of entering the basket and is not touching the cylinder.

b. It is goaltending to touch the ball outside the cylinder during a free throw, regardless of whether the free throw is on its upward or downward flight.

c. When the ball contacts the backboard and any part of the ball is above the rim during a field goal attempt, it is considered to be on its downward flight. In such a case, it is goaltending when the ball is touched by a player as long as it has a possibility of entering the basket.

PENALTY (Section 15):

a. When the violation is at the basket of the opponent of the offending player, the offended team shall be awarded:

1. One point for basket interference or one point and a CLASS B technical foul for goaltending when, during a free throw, the ball is on its upward or downward flight.
2. Two points when it occurs during a two-point field-goal try.
3. Three points when it occurs during a three-point field-goal try.

b. The crediting of the score resulting from basket interference or goaltending and subsequent throw-in procedure shall be the same as when the awarded score results from the ball going through the basket, except that the official shall hand/bounce the ball to a player of the team entitled to the throw-in.

c When the violation is at a team’s own basket, no points shall be scored and the ball shall be awarded to the offended team at a designated spot nearest to where the violation occurred.

d. When the violation results from touching the ball while it is in the basket after entering from below, no points shall be scored and the ball shall be awarded to the opponent at a designated spot nearest to where the violation occurred.

e. When there is a violation by both teams, play shall be resumed by awarding the ball to the team entitled to the alternating-possession throw-in at a designated spot nearest to where the violation occurred using the procedures in Rule 7-3.2.

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a. Basket interference occurs when a player:

2. Touches the ball while any part of it is within the cylinder that has the ring as its lower base;

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b. The cylinder is the imaginary geometric figure that has the ring as its base and is formed by the upward extension of that ring.

LSU player that completed the tip-in clearly violated this rule.

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d. A player may have a hand legally in contact with the ball, when this contact continues after the ball enters the cylinder or when, during such action, the player touches or grabs the basket.

This caveat possibly absolves the LSU player. Its a poorly written one. " A player may have a hand legally in contact with the ball...continues after the ball enters the cylinder". Continues from what point? "or when...the player touches or grabs the basket" I believe the spirit of this rule was intended to allow for dunking. I relent.

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a. Basket interference occurs when a player:

5. Causes the basket or backboard to vibrate when the ball is on or within the basket or the backboard and/or is on or in the cylinder.

Two different Uk players clearly violated this rule. The first UK player that stuck his hand through the rim with apparent contact with the net and rim, "Causes the basket or backboard...to vibrate when the ball is on or within...the backboard". The second UK player that slapped the backboard, "Causes the basket or backboard...to vibrate when the ball is...on or in the cylinder". If unsure of the vibration focus on the light reflection off the backboard when watching the replay. Pause replay once the ball is in the cylinder extending above the rim after it just kissed off the vibrating backboard.

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b. The cylinder is the imaginary geometric figure that has the ring as its base and is formed by the upward extension of that ring.

Goaltending should never have been in question as no, "defensive player touches the ball during a field-goal try".

LSU did, in fact, commit a violation. However, it is a moot point as UK violated the basket interference rule not once but twice before the LSU violation occurred.

Basket should have counted on the two UK violations.

Game over. LSU wins.

Case closed. Move on UK and ESPN. Lets not start talking about all the bad foul calls and no-calls that went against LSU.