Confused Coach/Reff!

[Loudwhistle]

5-6 playoff games. Player dribbles, picks up dribble, then fumbles, retrieves fumble. Coach starts saying, "double dribble, double dribble" a little later during a time out coach comes over and tells the state tournament reff that he's missing the double dribble on a fumble. Reff tells him no he's not, rules specifically allow a player to pick up a fumble after he's dribbled. Other reff 29 year veteran comes over and says the same thing to coach. Coach stomps off saying you guys are wrong. I keep looking at the coach as the game keeps going knowing I've seen him somewhere. I realize after awhile the coach is also a reff that I watched a month ago working a varsity game in another town!! Later that day I'm getting ready to work a game with the same confused coach and the 29 year veteran reff comes up to me and shows me a copy he made from the illustrated rules of the fumble, dribble, fumble page. He says, I'm going to hand deliver this baby to that coach! I asked him later what the coach said when he gave it to him. He said, "Thanks." The coach never complained once in the game I officiated!

[BillyMac]

...Mythbusters.

During a fumble the player is not in control of the ball, and therefore, cannot be called for a traveling violation. A fumble is the accidental loss of player control when the ball is unintentionally dropped or slips from a player’s grasp. After a player has ended a dribble and fumbled the ball, that player may recover the ball without violating. Any steps taken during the recovery of a fumble are not traveling, regardless of how far the ball goes and the amount of advantage that is gained. It is always legal to recover a fumble, even at the end of a dribble, however that player cannot begin a new dribble, which would be an illegal dribble violation. A player who fumbles the ball when receiving a pass may legally start a dribble.

Also:
Fumble, dribble, fumble. (legal)
Dribble, fumble, dribble (illegal)

[Loudwhistle]

BillyMac,
Hey I look at your (our) Myth busters at least once a week as part of my pregame at the house before I head for the gym. I passed out the whole list to all the officials this year and some new ones that were helping with a middle school tournament. Just last week, one of the guys comes up to me at a game and asked,"how does that go? Is it dribble, fumble dribble or fumble dribble fumble. I told him the one with the most fumbles because in football a fumble is legal. With some of the new reffs I now start conversations with them like, "You are where you were until?" Or first touch last touch means? Kind of a fun way to spur them on to learn some of the rules, some that will save your arse in a key moment. Thanks for keeping the list updated.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Loudwhistle

BillyMac, Thanks for keeping the list updated.

You are where you were until you get where you're going. (player location)
Must have something in and nothing out. (returning inbounds)
Last to touch, first to touch. (backcourt)
Fumble, dribble, fumble. (legal)
Dribble, fumble, dribble (illegal)
Must sit a tick, don’t have to play a tick. (substitution)
There's a difference between being tripped, and tripping. (foul, no foul)
Over the back isn't, on the back is. (no foul, foul)
Accidental isn't always incidental. (contact)
Redirect, Impede, Displace, Dislodge (illegal post play)
Rhythm, Speed, Balance, Quickness (dribbler affected, hand-checking foul)
Pass, shoot, start a dribble, or request a timeout. (player with ball on floor)
White, black, beige, color similar to predominant jersey color. (headbands, wristbands)
When in doubt, don't be. (call it only if you’re sure)
Lead gets the pass and trail gets the crash. (lead and trail responsibility)
When the ball is dead, we must be alive. (timeout mechanics)
Prevent if we can, enforce if we must. (three seconds)
Answer questions, not statements. (communication with coaches)
Bounce when you can, hand when you must. (throw-in)
Don’t be a ball watcher. (officiate your primary)
Move to improve. (court coverage)
Anticipate the play, not the call. (be patient)
Be slow to blow the whistle. (be patient)
You can always put air into a whistle, but you cannot take it out. (patient whistle)