[JRutledge]

ysong,

Is this something happening in every game you work?

It sounds like to me you both read something in the rulebook or casebook and started coming up with situations that might happen.

I have been working about 9 years doing this. I have worked varsity ball for 9 of those years to some extent. I have worked the playoffs and college ball for the past 4-5 years. I have never had a single coach ever invoke these rules as a justification or a possibility for either me or my partner's to miss a call. I have never (until now) heard of any official even bring up these issues or even have a debate about what happens if a player's hair touches the ball and it goes out of bounds. I have never heard of anyone debating the issue of the ball being knocked out thru the hand of the ball handler. You sound more like you are trying to create a test for the NF, then trying to learn how to call the game. This insistence on an opinion from everyone here is rather futile and silly. If you cannot figure out what to do, then I really wonder about what might happen when you get on that court. I have no problem with anyone wanting to learn the rules or the game, but success is not in the cards for officials that only try to find loopholes in every rule and get upset when they cannot find a definitive answer. I understand why you asked the question, but at some point you are going to have to decide do you want to call something that no one is going to understand or do you want to call something that everyone can see and understand. I for one am not at all perfect as an official, but it is rare that I make call that are not easily explained or I am the only one that can see something. What you are asking is not going to make yourself a better official. I can guarantee you if you go to a camp or most association meetings, these are not going to be talked about seriously.

Peace