It's judgment, to be sure. And again we're on the "would you have granted TO?" question (or in NCAA, would you reset the shot clock?)

Throw=TC/PC
Bat= no control

I was watching on a smaller screen and it did not look like he caught it. watched it on my big screen. Thanks.

Looks like he clearly caught the ball and threw it off of white to save it. But the second player in red who touches the ball seems to be the start of a dribble. Would the 3 points rule (two feet and the ball required for a dribbler to obtain front court status) not apply? If the touch is a dribble, then the ball retains backcourt status, no? Is college rule different than NFHS?

If the 3 points rule doesn't apply here than it was a great call by the official.

I ask again:

As an observer of basketball, I would say yes ... until the official blows the whistle, that was all he (#24) did was dribble the ball -- all 3 dribbles were in the backcourt until the official blew the whistle.

But what an observer sees isn't always how the rule is applied which is why I ask. I guess it is a question can you immediately become a dribbler on first touch of the ball. I'm not aware of a case/rule that speaks to this one way or another although there may be one.

A player is not dribbling while slapping the ball during a jump ball, 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.

Yes you can be a dribbler on first touch of the ball but not always.

The three points rule only applies on a dribbler going from back to front court. It does not apply in this situation.

In this case his first touch is in the front court (feet in the front court, ball in the air), his next is in the back court. I'm of the opinion that even if team control was not established with the red team player saving the ball (I believe it was), team control and player control was established when the first touch occurred as that was the start of his dribble.

In my view, he dribbled from FC to BC. Since he started with FC status, 3 points does not apply.

I've enjoyed watching this about ten times. Not because it was the right or wrong call, but because Eades was so acutely aware of the sequence of events that he was able to process the try, the establishment of team control, ball location and player location…all pretty much in the blink of an eye, and then put air in the whistle. How many of us would have passed and simply said, "I wasn't sure so I couldn't call it."

Hell of a call in that context.


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