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A player can definitely be in possession of a ball he/she did not catch. The most obvious example being the fielding of a ball or simply the picking up of a ball on the ground. The "catch" rules sited are in reference to CATCHING a ball (in other words, controlling a batted ball before it hits the ground in such a way to allow an OUT to be called). You certainly wouldn't be using the same rules to say a fielder didn't POSSESS the ball when he/she tagged a player simply because he didn't catch it before it hit the ground. The rules sited are irrelevant to this topic.
I don't have the book in front of me. But we should be looking at the rules desribing what a fielder must do with the ball when tagging an opponent or touching a base for a force.
Also - what a player may or may not do with a ball is also irrelevant to whether he/she controls it. It was mentioned that if a player couldn't throw the ball or hand the ball to a teammate, he doesn't possess it. Where is that in the book? I've never heard such a description of possession (in any sport). Certainly if the player's grasp (by her hand) is keeping the ball from dropping (to the ground or further down the shirt), the hand is CONTROLLING the ball - which is what is at issue.
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