[DownTownTonyBrown]

Although your changes of the scenario were not too subtle... Chuck has again shown the exact point of the rule.

NOTE: The dribbler has committed a violaiton if he/she steps on or outside a boundary, even though he/she is not touching the ball while he/she is out of bounds.

It says nothing about retouching. It says nothing about loosing the ball. It says nothing about interrupted dribble. IT JUST SAYS THE DRIBBLER HAS VIOLATED IF HE STEPS ON A LINE. So the question again is "Is he still a dribbler when he steps on a line - even though he is going to make a decision here in a split second and say "Hey, I don't want to dribble anymore." It is still the same question WAS THIS GUY A DRIBBLER WHEN HE STEPPED ON THE LINE? Obviously, if the answer is YES, then this is a violation.

Now also obviously, these other nitwit scenarios that some of you keep coming up with ... he is no longer a dribbler after B1 has stolen the ball, or after he has slapped it back towards the court and fallen out of bounds, or tripped on his shoelace and fallen on the line as the ball bounces away - even if the wind is blowing from the west and it is a Thursday morning and the other team has Wilt Chamberlin playing. No violation in these scenarios.