[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

BZ:

You keep missing the point that Cameron, Bob, and I are making. The location of B1, when he has possession of the ball, is important when deteriming when the ball the ball is at the disposal of Team B for a throw-in. You are confusing two types of plays: #1) The ball is available for B1 to pick up and take it out-of-bounds, so as to start a throw-in, or B1 does pick up the ball but makes no effort to take the ball out-of-bounds immediately so as to start a throw-in; and #2) B1 does pick up the ball immediately and immediately starts to take the ball out-of-bounds so as to start a throw-in.

In Play #2, it does not matter where the location of the ball is, as long as a player from B makes every effort to secure the ball as soon as possible after Team A scores, and once a player secures the ball, makes every effort to take the ball out-of-bounds as soon as possible so as to start its throw-in, then the ball is not at the disposal of Team B for a throw-in until B1 is out-of-bounds and no part is his body is touching inbounds. And that is when the official shall start his five seconds count for the throw-in.

You must also remember that the definition of a throw-in is: A method of putting the ball in play from OUT-OF-BOUNDS.

The reason there are casebook plays involving situations like Play #1 above are to show how situations where Team B's actions are to be construed as delaying in making a dead ball become a live ball. In Play #2, Team B is not guilty of delaying in making a dead ball become a live ball.

Right now I do not feel like climbing up Mt. Attic to go through 34 years of casebooks, but I can assure you that what Bob Jenkins and Cameron Rust have been telling you is the correct way to start a five second throw-in count. Why? Because Team B cannot start a throw-in until B1 is out-of-bounds and in possession of the ball, then and only then, with the exceptions of Play #1, does the status of the ball go from dead to live and the ball is now at the disposal of Team B for a throw-in. In 34 years of officiating high school and college basketball I have never (forgive me J. Dallas Shirley for using the word never) seen an official start his five second count in Play #2 until B1 is out-of-bounds with the ball, nor have I ever heard an official advocate such a position as yours because to do so would mean that the official did not have a thorough knowledge of the applicable rules and an understanding of the how and why of the rules concerned.

MTD, Sr.