Many uses (and abuses) of the 5-second rule

THERE are many five-second rules that we can find everywhere. In basketball, it is used against any player who takes time to do an in-bound throw of the ball. Or if an offensive player with the ball and, due to close guarding, fails to dribble, pass or shoot. That's a violation of continuous play.

In volleyball, the server has five seconds to serve the ball from the time the referee signals the start of a set. Again, it is to avoid waiting time.