The Principle of Verticality- The Myth of Over the Back

If you have ever been to a game, you’ve heard it. Two players jump for a rebound and the player from behind gets the ball. “Over the back!” You’ve heard it from coaches. You’ll hear from other fans. We all hear it when we watch a game on TV. But the truth is, it doesn’t exist. There’s no such thing as “Over the back.”
https://www.comeonrefs.com/

RULE 4 - SECTION 45
VERTICALITY
Verticality applies to a legal position. Following are the basic components of the principle of verticality:

ART. 1 . . . Legal guarding position must be obtained initially and movement thereafter must be legal.

ART. 2 . . . From this position, the defender may rise or jump vertically and occupy the space within his/her vertical plane.

ART. 3 . . . The hands and arms of the defender may be raised within his/her vertical plane while on the floor or in the air.

ART. 4 . . . The defender should not be penalized for leaving the floor – vertically or having his/her hands and arms extended within his/her vertical plane.

ART. 5 . . . The offensive player whether on the floor or airborne, may not “clear out” or cause contact within the defender’s vertical plane, which is a foul.

ART. 6 . . . . The defender may not “belly up” or use the lower part of the body or arms to cause contact outside his/her vertical plane, which is a foul.

ART. 7 . . . The player with the ball is to be given no more protection or consideration than the defender in judging which player has violated the rules.