[ilyazhito]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

frezer11: fists the ball ... has anyone called that before?

I've called it, but not exactly as described.

Many decades ago, back when I was a junior varsity official.

After a made basket, no defensive pressure, A1 inbounds to A2, who nonchalantly punches the ball back to point guard A1 after he steps inbounds.

Something deep in the recesses of my mind told me (you know, that voice in your head), "He can't do that", so I sounded my whistle.

I had to make up a signal on the spot.

Varsity guys that followed me told me that I should not have called the punching the ball with a fist violation; that the rule was intended to keep the players safe and that it should only be called if the ball is punched in a crowd, like in a rebounding situation.

The rule doesn't say that. Hitting the ball with the fist is a violation, just like playing the ball with the hands is a violation in soccer. I have had to call a fisting the ball violation exactly once, in a middle school girl's game.