I had a game on a non-regulation court this past season which had a restraining line 3 feet inside the court from the end lines because there was not sufficient room to inbound the ball without it. Pre-game we told captains an coaches that nobody could go in there to defend or receive a pass. No incidents until late in the 3rd qtr when an offensive player for the visitors went clearly into the zone to receive an inbound pass. The defender had stayed behind the restraining line. Advantage for the offense. Whistle for violation. Visitors coach went berserk because I had not called it all game [because there were no violations to that point]. But if the defender had gone into the zone alone and made the steal and no call was made, the coach would have gone berserk in the other direction.
Make the call because if a long pass had been completed for a layup at the other end and you had NOT made it, the other team would have been cheated. See 1972 Summer Olympics.
