Topic: 2 to 3, hits 5 on way.

[Nathanzero]

Not sure if this has been asked before. Question about a 2 to 3 pass. The ball is on team 1's 2 bar and is stopped. The 2 bar attempts a pass through to team 1's 3 bar but inadvertently hits their own 5 bar on the way. The ball nicks the 5 bar and the ball is caught by team 1's 3 bar and does not hit any of team 2's men or anything else on the way. Is this pass legal considering it was from a stopped ball?
Thank you.

[SilentSam]

OK, so this is a tricky question. It can be either legal or illegal, depending on what team 1 did on the 5.

Even if it's inadvertent, if team 1 made an attempt to hit or move the ball with the 5-bar, i.e: made a 'controlling advancement', then it's illegal. The defender may not have wanted to do this, but if the forward moved into the ball, then it's a stopped ball pass.

If the forward didn't move the 5-bar and the ball touches the 5, or if the forward attempted to move out of the way with the 5, but the ball grazes the 5 anyways, then the pass is legal.