The time line , in basketball , is a name for the center line that reflects the rule that the offensive team has a limited amount of time to advance the ball past this line, from the backcourt to the frontcourt, in a scoring drive. The time line may have a name that reflects the amount of time, such as "second line" or "8-second line". Correspondingly, a violation of the rule may be called a second violation or an 8-second violation. The rule was introduced in It was basketball's first time restriction on possession of the ball, predating the shot clock by over two decades. The time limit is marked off by an official waving his arm to visibly count, if there is no shot clock available or the shot clock is turned off. However, women's college basketball introduced the second limit in —14, and provided that officials will not count the ten seconds but "will use the shot clock to determine if a second violation has occurred.

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If the offense fails to bring the ball into the front court , or past the half court line, within 8 seconds after bringing the ball into play in an NBA and FIBA game. The offense is called for a backcourt violation after the Paul dribbles the ball off his foot and he grabs the ball after it goes into the backcourt. The full-court press by the defense prevents the offense from getting the ball past the half court line in time, therefore resulting in a backcourt violation. The NBA and other leagues instituted a certain amount of time a team must bring the ball into the front court in order to help progress and speed up the game. In the past, teams would take their time in the backcourt and control as much of the time as possible, trying to run down the clock. Today, with the time-limit enforced to get the ball over the half-court line, defensive teams will try to force a backcourt violation in order to get the ball back.
What is a Basketball Backcourt Violation
A backcourt violation is an inclusive term in basketball that covers two more specific violations. Not following the eight second rule and the over and back rule are both times when a backcourt violation is called. The offensive team must cross the midcourt line with the basketball after it is put into play. It must be done within the allowed amount of time, which is eight seconds in the NBA and ten seconds in college basketball. The difference in time between the two leagues is due to college basketball having a longer shot clock than the NBA. The second variation of a backcourt violation is the over and back rule. Once an offensive team has taken the basketball completely past midcourt and into the front court , they are no longer allowed to enter the backcourt. Any part of the ball or player that touches the midcourt line or back court is deemed to be in violation. However, that does not apply when it is elevated above the court's surface. The punishment is light for breaking both of the two rules.
Backcourt violations are among the most misunderstood in basketball. Many players know that they must advance the ball from the backcourt to the frontcourt in a specific period of time, but few know what specifically constitutes a backcourt violation. Teams that can't control the ball in the backcourt regularly end up having a problem competing for a full basketball game. A basketball player may not dribble the ball from the backcourt to the frontcourt and then return to the backcourt again. This is called an over-and-back violation. However, the dribbler has quite a bit of leeway when in the process of dribbling. The dribbler is not considered to be in the front court until both feet and the basketball are in the front court. If the dribbler has one foot in the backcourt while the ball and the other foot are in the front court, the dribbler is still considered to be in the backcourt. However, once the dribbler has both feet and the ball in the front court, the ball must remain in the front court from that point forward.