Jump ball question

[Mark Padgett]

Girls HS JV level summer league. I toss the opening jump. A1 taps the ball with one hand. B1 taps the ball with one hand. A1 then hits the ball with both hands simultaneously. The ball then hits the floor and then it is grabbed by A1. My partner blows his whistle.

I thought he was going to call a violation on A1 for catching the ball and I was ready to remind him that it was OK since the ball hit the floor first.

But NO! He said that the second tapping of the ball by A1 counted as two taps since she hit it with both hands. He didn't mean she hit it separately, but that the simultaneous tapping counted as two.

I didn't feel like arguing, since I never had this before. The only rule reference I can find is in the definition of a "tap" which says a tap can be with the hand(s), although that is talking about a tap for goal.

This partner is a very experienced varsity level official and is also an evaluator, so I figured that even though he might be wrong, he had such court presence that I didn't make an issue of it.

Any thoughts?