backbone_pushstate_router.js

// Use absolute URLs  to navigate to anything not in your Router.

// Only need this for pushState enabled browsers
if (Backbone.history && Backbone.history._hasPushState) {

  // Use delegation to avoid initial DOM selection and allow all matching elements to bubble
  $(document).delegate("a", "click", function(evt) {
    // Get the anchor href and protcol
    var href = $(this).attr("href");
    var protocol = this.protocol + "//";

    // Ensure the protocol is not part of URL, meaning its relative.
    // Stop the event bubbling to ensure the link will not cause a page refresh.
    if (href.slice(protocol.length) !== protocol &&
      Backbone.history.root !== "/" &&
      href.slice(0, Backbone.history.root.length) === Backbone.history.root){

      href = href.slice(Backbone.history.root.length);

      evt.preventDefault();

      // Note by using Backbone.history.navigate, router events will not be
      // triggered.  If this is a problem, change this to navigate on your
      // router.
      Backbone.history.navigate(href, true);

    }
  });

}