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Sorry, KWH, but I simply do not accept your "opinion" that, " it is technically LEGAL for a player to intentionally go out of bounds, stand there, wait for a pass, leap into the air, bat the pass to a team mate and then return to the ground OOB just so long as he does not return to the field.".
The rule does not state, imply or hint that it is necessary to remain in continual contact with the ground, or any other object or person, OOB to retain being OOB once having satisfied the requirement of "touching" someone or something OOB. That is a presumption you have invented despite it's having nothing to do with the rational operation or conduct of the game.
That presumption is totally counterintuitive and serves absolutely no practical, or beneficial, purpose. The current rules clearly separate a player being OOB, from not being OOB by common sense going so far as to clearly establish that a player who has gone OOB, unless as specifically authorized, cannot return inbounds legally (Illegal Participation).
Could the rule be written better? Probably. Does the simple fact that the current verbiage can be manipulated into an extreme interpretation that makes no sense whatsoever mean that everyone is required to accept something that is absolutely ridiculous? No way, unless of course someone personally decides to follow an illogical path, in which case they accept the consequences of choosing to do so.
Although it is not a requirement that an official agree with every rule interpretation they understand must be enforced, it is appropriate that an official understand the logic and purpose of interpretations they must enforce, beyond, "because someone has opined it says so". Each of us has to judge whether an extreme interpretation is actually valid or is merely an excessive exaggeration that serves no purpose, nor offers any benefit to the orderly management of the game.
Those are decisions each of us must make individually, and for whatever it might be worth, I'd advise staying away from unique "interpretations" that defy rational explanation and make no sense. Being "unexplainable" is a road sign pointing to a bad destination.
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