diff --git a/backend/src/main.rs b/backend/src/main.rs
index a7f42fa..0c2bd9c 100644
--- a/backend/src/main.rs
+++ b/backend/src/main.rs
@@ -13,30 +13,35 @@ use axum::extract::ws::{Message, Utf8Bytes, WebSocket};
 use futures_util::{sink::SinkExt, stream::StreamExt};
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use std::collections::HashMap;
-use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
-use tokio::sync::Mutex as TokioMutex;
+use std::sync::Arc;
+use tokio::sync::Mutex;
 use tracing::{info, warn};
 use uuid::Uuid;
 
-use crate::game::{GamePhase, Room};
+use crate::game::{Room, ThrowOutcome};
 use crate::protocol::*;
 
+type WsSender = futures_util::stream::SplitSink<WebSocket, Message>;
+type WsReceiver = futures_util::stream::SplitStream<WebSocket>;
+
 #[derive(Clone)]
 struct AppState {
-    rooms: Arc<Mutex<HashMap<String, Arc<TokioMutex<Room>>>>>,
+    rooms: Arc<Mutex<HashMap<String, Arc<Mutex<Room>>>>>,
 }
 
 impl AppState {
     fn new() -> Self {
-        Self { rooms: Arc::new(Mutex::new(HashMap::new())) }
+        Self {
+            rooms: Arc::new(Mutex::new(HashMap::new())),
+        }
     }
 
-    fn get_or_create_room(&self, room_id: &str) -> Arc<TokioMutex<Room>> {
-        let mut rooms = self.rooms.lock().unwrap();
+    async fn get_or_create_room(&self, room_id: &str) -> Arc<Mutex<Room>> {
+        let mut rooms = self.rooms.lock().await;
         if let Some(room) = rooms.get(room_id).cloned() {
             return room;
         }
-        let room = Arc::new(TokioMutex::new(Room::new(room_id)));
+        let room = Arc::new(Mutex::new(Room::new(room_id)));
         rooms.insert(room_id.to_string(), room.clone());
         room
     }
@@ -81,7 +86,7 @@ async fn health() -> impl IntoResponse {
 
 async fn new_room(State(state): State<Arc<AppState>>) -> impl IntoResponse {
     let room_id = generate_room_code();
-    state.get_or_create_room(&room_id);
+    state.get_or_create_room(&room_id).await;
     (StatusCode::OK, axum::Json(NewRoomResponse { room: room_id }))
 }
 
@@ -93,50 +98,78 @@ async fn ws_handler(
     ws.on_upgrade(move |socket| handle_socket(socket, state, query.room, query.team))
 }
 
-async fn handle_socket(socket: WebSocket, state: Arc<AppState>, room_id: String, preferred_team: Option<Team>) {
-    let room_arc = state.get_or_create_room(&room_id);
-    let player_id = Uuid::new_v4().to_string();
-    let player_id_for_recv = player_id.clone();
+async fn handle_socket(
+    socket: WebSocket,
+    state: Arc<AppState>,
+    room_id: String,
+    preferred_team: Option<Team>,
+) {
+    let room = state.get_or_create_room(&room_id).await;
+    let (mut sender, receiver) = socket.split();
 
-    let (mut sender, mut receiver) = socket.split();
-
-    // Reject room-full before subscribing so the error goes only to the joining socket.
-    {
-        let room = room_arc.lock().await;
-        if room.game.can_start() {
-            let err = serde_json::to_string(&ServerMessage::Error {
-                message: "Room is full".to_string(),
-            }).unwrap();
-            let _ = sender.send(Message::Text(Utf8Bytes::from(err))).await;
-            return;
-        }
+    if try_join_room(&room).await.is_err() {
+        let err = serde_json::to_string(&ServerMessage::Error {
+            message: "Room is full".to_string(),
+        })
+        .unwrap();
+        let _ = sender.send(Message::Text(Utf8Bytes::from(err))).await;
+        return;
     }
 
-    // Add the player to the room and tell only this socket its assigned team.
-    let team = {
-        let mut room = room_arc.lock().await;
-        let team = room.game.add_player(player_id.clone(), preferred_team)
-            .unwrap_or(Team::Red);
-        if room.game.can_start() {
-            room.game.start();
-        }
-        team
-    };
+    let player_id = Uuid::new_v4().to_string();
+    let team = register_player(&room, &player_id, preferred_team).await;
 
-    let joined_msg = serde_json::to_string(&ServerMessage::Joined {
+    let joined = serde_json::to_string(&ServerMessage::Joined {
         room: room_id.clone(),
         team,
-    }).unwrap();
-    let _ = sender.send(Message::Text(Utf8Bytes::from(joined_msg))).await;
+    })
+    .unwrap();
+    let _ = sender.send(Message::Text(Utf8Bytes::from(joined))).await;
 
-    // Subscribe to broadcast and spawn the forwarding task.
-    let tx = {
-        let room = room_arc.lock().await;
-        room.tx.clone()
-    };
-    let mut rx = tx.subscribe();
+    let tx = { room.lock().await.tx.clone() };
 
-    let send_task = tokio::spawn(async move {
+    let send_task = spawn_forwarder(sender, tx.subscribe());
+    broadcast_room_state(&room, &tx).await;
+
+    let recv_task = spawn_message_handler(room.clone(), player_id.clone(), tx, receiver);
+
+    tokio::select! {
+        _ = send_task => {}
+        _ = recv_task => {}
+    }
+
+    remove_player(&room, &player_id).await;
+}
+
+async fn try_join_room(room: &Arc<Mutex<Room>>) -> Result<(), ()> {
+    let room_guard = room.lock().await;
+    if room_guard.game.can_start() {
+        return Err(());
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+async fn register_player(
+    room: &Arc<Mutex<Room>>,
+    player_id: &str,
+    preferred_team: Option<Team>,
+) -> Team {
+    let mut room_guard = room.lock().await;
+    let team = room_guard
+        .game
+        .add_player(player_id.to_string(), preferred_team)
+        .unwrap_or(Team::Red);
+    if room_guard.game.can_start() {
+        room_guard.game.start();
+    }
+    team
+}
+
+fn spawn_forwarder(
+    mut sender: WsSender,
+    mut rx: tokio::sync::broadcast::Receiver<ServerMessage>,
+) -> tokio::task::JoinHandle<()> {
+    tokio::spawn(async move {
         loop {
             match rx.recv().await {
                 Ok(msg) => {
@@ -151,49 +184,59 @@ async fn handle_socket(socket: WebSocket, state: Arc<AppState>, room_id: String,
                 Err(_) => break,
             }
         }
-    });
+    })
+}
 
-    // Broadcast waiting/game state to everyone in the room.
-    {
-        let room = room_arc.lock().await;
-        if room.game.can_start() {
-            let state_msg = room.game.game_state_message();
-            let _ = room.tx.send(state_msg);
-        } else {
-            let _ = room.tx.send(ServerMessage::Waiting { message: "Waiting for other player".to_string() });
+async fn broadcast_room_state(
+    room: &Arc<Mutex<Room>>,
+    tx: &tokio::sync::broadcast::Sender<ServerMessage>,
+) {
+    let room_guard = room.lock().await;
+    let msg = if room_guard.game.can_start() {
+        room_guard.game.game_state_message()
+    } else {
+        ServerMessage::Waiting {
+            message: "Waiting for other player".to_string(),
         }
-    }
+    };
+    let _ = tx.send(msg);
+}
 
-    let recv_room = room_arc.clone();
-    let recv_id = player_id_for_recv;
-    let recv_task = tokio::spawn(async move {
+fn spawn_message_handler(
+    room: Arc<Mutex<Room>>,
+    player_id: String,
+    tx: tokio::sync::broadcast::Sender<ServerMessage>,
+    mut receiver: WsReceiver,
+) -> tokio::task::JoinHandle<()> {
+    tokio::spawn(async move {
         while let Some(Ok(msg)) = receiver.next().await {
             let Message::Text(text) = msg else { continue; };
             let text_ref = text.as_str();
             let parsed: Result<ClientMessage, _> = serde_json::from_str(text_ref);
             match parsed {
                 Ok(ClientMessage::Throw { broom_x, broom_y, weight, curl, friction }) => {
-                    let room = recv_room.clone();
-                    let mut room = room.lock().await;
-                    if room.game.current_team_for_player(&recv_id) != Some(team) {
-                        let _ = room.tx.send(ServerMessage::Error { message: "Not your turn".to_string() });
-                        continue;
-                    }
-                    match room.game.handle_throw(&recv_id, broom_x, broom_y, weight, curl, friction) {
-                        Ok(path) => {
-                            room.tx.send(ServerMessage::Trajectory { path }).ok();
-                            room.game.finish_simulation();
-                            if let Some(scored) = room.game.take_last_end_scored() {
-                                room.tx.send(scored).ok();
+                    let mut room_guard = room.lock().await;
+                    match room_guard
+                        .game
+                        .process_throw(&player_id, broom_x, broom_y, weight, curl, friction)
+                    {
+                        Ok(ThrowOutcome {
+                            trajectory,
+                            end_scored,
+                            state_message,
+                            game_over,
+                        }) => {
+                            let _ = tx.send(ServerMessage::Trajectory { path: trajectory });
+                            if let Some(scored) = end_scored {
+                                let _ = tx.send(scored);
                             }
-                            let after = room.game.game_state_message();
-                            room.tx.send(after).ok();
-                            if room.game.phase() == GamePhase::GameComplete {
-                                room.tx.send(room.game.game_over_message()).ok();
+                            let _ = tx.send(state_message);
+                            if let Some(over) = game_over {
+                                let _ = tx.send(over);
                             }
                         }
                         Err(e) => {
-                            room.tx.send(ServerMessage::Error { message: e }).ok();
+                            let _ = tx.send(ServerMessage::Error { message: e });
                         }
                     }
                 }
@@ -202,16 +245,10 @@ async fn handle_socket(socket: WebSocket, state: Arc<AppState>, room_id: String,
                 }
             }
         }
-    });
-
-    tokio::select! {
-        _ = send_task => {}
-        _ = recv_task => {}
-    }
-
-    // On disconnect, free the team slot so refreshes and new tabs can rejoin.
-    {
-        let mut room = room_arc.lock().await;
-        let _ = room.game.remove_player(&player_id);
-    }
+    })
+}
+
+async fn remove_player(room: &Arc<Mutex<Room>>, player_id: &str) {
+    let mut room_guard = room.lock().await;
+    room_guard.game.remove_player(player_id);
 }