Bart,
Show me the rule that says,
anytime you have player control and no one else touches the ball, you cannot be the last to touch the ball and you step OOB and be the 1st to touch the ball inbounds.
I think that's one of basketball's great myths.
The reason that 7.1.1 Situation B is not a violation is because there was no dribble by A1. The key to this whole original post is the referees judgment of whether or not the player was dribbling when they went out of bounds.
If a player is dribbling and steps out of bounds (even if they don't happen to be touching the ball at the instant that they step out), they are out of bounds.
Rule 9-3 Note: The dribbler has committed a violation 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.
If a player is not dribbling, they can come back in bounds and be the first to touch the ball without a violation. For instance...the ball is rolling towards the sideline. A1 dives and saves the ball inbounds and the momentum carries A1 out of bounds. A1 can then run back onto the floor and pick up the ball with no violation of the rules.
Z
[Edited by zebraman on Jan 11th, 2002 at 12:39 PM]