My best finish this year was in a Boys JV game. After reading the description you'll agree that from an official's standpoint this was probably the best ending of the year.
Coach of blue is a jerk and every official here knows it. He has been a pain the whole game, but never crossed the line. Tie score with 4 seconds to play and white has the ball for a throw-in FT line extended opposite the table. I am the trail and administer the throw-in. The ball is passed inbounds directly in front of me. The player catches the ball while facing his defender, and before dribbling, tosses the ball over the defender's head, runs around him, allows the ball to bounce on the floor once, grabs it, and then shoots. Just as he releases the ball, my partner blows his whistle. The shot goes in and the clock stops with .4 seconds left. My partner, who is rather inexperienced, waves off the basket and calls traveling from the lead on the opposite side of the lane. Since the play happened right in front of me and I know that he is incorrect, I go over and talk with him.
He tells me that he thought that was illegal, but since I am sure it was not asks what we should do.
I told him that we would have to deem the whistle inadvertant and since the ball was probably not out of the shooter's hands when he blew his whistle it is dead, and we will give the ball to white OOB on the endline. He was fine with this.
Now we called both coaches to the table to explain the ruling to them. The coach of blue strongly objected, "Why to do they get the ball?" I replied that we didn't think that the ball was out of the player's hands yet. He loudly stated, "It was that far out of his hands!" while holding his hands above his head and three feet apart.
I asked him, "Are you sure, coach?"
Blue coach: "Yeah, I'm sure." Obviously, thinking he is going to get an alternate possession.
Me, loudly enough for all the fans in the bleachers behind us to hear: "You're absolutely sure that ball was out of his hands?"
Blue coach: "Yes, absolutely!"
At this point I said, "Okay, coach, you must be right." then turned to the scorer's table and said, "Count that basket please, blue ball!"
He was horrified!!!!!!!!
We put the ball in play, they missed, and white won by 2.