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I would like opinions on the following play.
Please bear in mind the following definitions when you give your answers:
4-12-1 ...A player is in control of the ball when he/she is holding or dribbling a live ball inbounds. There is no player control when, during a jump ball, a jumper catches the ball prior to the ball touching the floor or a non-jumper, or during an interrupted dribble.
4-15-1 ...A dribble is ball movement caused by a player in control who bats (intentionally strikes the ball with the hand(s)) or pushes the ball to the floor once or several times.
4-15-3 ...The dribble may be started by pushing, throwing or batting the ball to the floor.
4-15-4 ...The dribble ends when:
c. The dribbler simultaneously touches the ball with both hands.
4-15-4 Note 2: A player is not dribbling while slapping the ball during a jump, when a pass rebounds from his/her hand, when he/she fumbles, or when he/she bats a rebound or pass away from other players who are attempting to get it. The player is not in control under these conditions.
4-15-5 ...An interrupted dribble occurs when the ball is loose after deflecting off the dribbler or after it momentarily gets away from the dribbler. There is no player control during an interrupted dribble.
The situation is:
GV game
Team A is leading 34-32 with about 1:30 to play in the 4th quarter. Team B has the ball. I am working the trail position opposite the table. I am standing on the sideline at the top of the key. This is a two man crew and my partner, obviously in the lead position, is someone I like and trust and have always worked well with before.
Team B is swinging the ball around the perimeter when they throw a pass to the wing on my side near the three point line. A1 leaps in front of B1 and deflects the pass. The ball hits B1 and goes over her head and returns to the floor. A1 is the first to get to it, but because of the pressure by B1 is only able to bat the ball forward down the sideline. I now turn to my right and watch both girls and the ball run down the sideline directly in front of me. I would have to say that I was 90% sure that I would have to make an OOB call here, but amazingly A1 is again the first to reach the ball and saves the ball by directing it diagonally forward toward her basket while tip-toeing along the sideline. At this time the ball is a few feet in front of her. I race down the sideline OOB and have reached a position that is even with A1 near the 28-foot line just as she catches up with the ball. The ball bounces up into the area of her stomach and she pushes the ball back to the floor with both hands, continues running toward the basket, and when the ball rebounds from the floor she touches it with only one hand and pushes it back to the floor.
At this time she has a clear path to the basket and has left B1 several paces behind her. Now my partner blows the whistle. He is diagonally opposite us at the free-throw line extended in the backcourt. He calls a double dribble violation as he closes to half court.
We gave the ball back to Team B who then scored to tie the game at 34. Team A then tried to hold for the last shot, but Team B stole the ball with 30 seconds left. After a time-out Team B held for the last shot and made a buzzer beater to win 36-34.
The two of us discussed this play on the way home in the car quite extensively and even stopped to pull out the rules book from our bags. We agree on the description of the play, but have trouble with when A1 had player control, when she was dribbling, and if that dribble ended when she touched the ball with both hands.
I have no problem with my partner helping me on the play as he probably had a better angle to see the play even though I was much closer, as he was on the frontside and I was looking at A1's backside as I ran down the sideline.
I am just concerned with whether or not he was right. If he wasn't, the score would have very likely been 36-32 in favor of Team A as this girl had an uncontested lay-up.
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