[just another ref]

I managed to overlook this one earlier.

Originally Posted by Jimgolf

The real question is "If a player erroneously begins a second dribble, can he just let the ball bounce by itself until someone picks it up and pretend it was a pass or a loose ball?"

If the rules are unclear, use the duck principle. If it looks like an illegal dribble, smells like an illegal dribble, and quacks like an illegal dribble, call it.

This is one variation of the play I have been suggesting, I think. When you say begins a dribble you mean he pushes the ball to the floor and has the body language and movements of a guy starting a dribble as opposed to a pass or fumble. (this is not that hard to determine, is it?) This is when I think we have plenty of leeway to go ahead and make the call without another touch. If you have doubts about his intention, by all means wait, but, if not, make the call.

I think an appropriate analogy would be when a player goes up for a shot, but can't get the shot off, so let's the ball fall to the ground to pretend he was dribbling. Do you wait for the player to touch the ball again, or do you just call a travel?

On this one, I gotta go with the group. On this play clearly the player's original intention was not to dribble.