Quote:
Originally Posted by just another ref
In the plays above it is clear that the intent of the ballhandler was not to dribble. A pass is when the ball is directed to another player. If the thrower is first to touch, the other player is eliminated from the play, creating the violation. Throwing the ball against the opponent's backboard is a unique situation. It was either done by accident or in a misguided attempt to circumvent the rule.
In the case of the player who throws/drops the ball straight to the floor, often inches from his own foot, usually there is not another player to consider in the play. Therefore, in my opinion, it is an immediate violation.
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Case Book play 9.5, to which I referred, cites Fundamental 19: "A ball which touches the front face or edges of the backboard
is treated the same as touching the floor inbounds, except that when the ball touches the thrower's backboard, it does not constitute a part of a dribble." (italics added) This statement indicates that the precedence is "the ball touching the floor inbounds." Thus, any actions directly linked to "the ball touching the floor inbounds" that would constitute a legal/illegal dribble must be inherent in any actions related thereto, with exceptions as noted.
Case Book play 4.15.4 SITUATION A ignores the statement in Fundamental 19. And seems to me to be another hasty inerpretation of the dribble/illegal dribble rule.
That Case Book play is followed by 4.15.4 SITUATION C, which again uses the statement ". . .
provided A1 is first to touch the ball after it strikes the official or the board." (italiccs added) This is consistent with Fundamental 19, and again leads one to believe that 4.15.4 A, is a mis-statement of the intent.
Perhaps the crux of the matter is one's understanding of the statement in 4-15-1 DRIBBLE . . . "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." (italics added) and its relation to 4-15-3 which defines the start of a dribble, and 4-15-4, which defines the end of a dribble.
In one train of thought, the start of the dribble constitutes a (complete)dribble, thus the immediate ruling that such action is illegal, if/when it follows the end of a previous dribble. However, by applying the definition of the end of a dribble, one is led to understand that a dribble must have a beginning and an end, to meet the definition of a (complete) dribble, and only then can a ruling of a legal/illegal dribble be effected.
In that second train of thought, the " . . . pushing, throwing or batting (of) the ball to the floor before the pivot foot is lifted" as stated in 4-15-3 "
may" be the start of a dribble, but that action can only be considered a (complete) dribble when and if the dribble is ended, as in 4-15-4. (italics added)
And that second train of thought leads one to the conclusion, as afore-stated, that when a legal dribble has ended, a subsequent ". . . pushing, throwing or batting (of) the ball to the floor, (or other surface of the playing apparatus, with exceptions noted) must be followed by ". . . the player being the first to touch the ball, thereafter" for that action to be considered a (complete) and therefore second, and thus an illegal dribble.