[just another ref]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

If no one eventually touches it, the dropping the ball actually was the start of another dribble and that was the point of the violation....not the subsequent touch. However, when it is such that it may be a pass or may be a dribble, we traditionally wait until the next touch to confirm what action it was.

In a few cases, it might be so obvious that the official would not need to wait to determine that it was released for a dribble.

The definition of a pass includes the phrase: "to another player". If there is no other player in the vicinity, and the ball is dropped straight to the floor, to me it is not a pass.