Two Play Situations, Same Concept?

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Nice citation Nevadaref.

4-15-2. During a dribble the ball may be batted into the air provided it is
permitted to strike the floor before the ball is touched again with the hand(s).

What if the ball isn't batted into the air, but rather is thrown into the air after being held with both feet on the floor (before it's dribbled even once)?

Certainly still illegal. But batted (implies no possession) isn't the same as thrown (implies possession).

The key with the above case us "during a dribble", implying the dribbler was already in progress. If the is thrown into the air, then the dribble wasn't already in progress.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

The key with the above case us "during a dribble", implying the dribbler was already in progress. If the is thrown into the air, then the dribble wasn't already in progress.

Case or rule? (Nevadaref cited a rule, not a caseplay.)

I picked up on that "during" also, making a perfect rule citation (except no rule violation listed in Rule 9, which only deals with second dribbles) for a batted ball during a dribble (the ball in the caseplay wasn't dribbled a second time, I'm not sure that is was dribbled a first time, but do know that the dribble was started). Can't a player start a dribble (release the ball toward the floor) and catch it before it hits the floor (especially if he never moves his feet)? The dribble started but did a dribble occur (so there can be a second illegal dribble)?

But the caseplay says thrown.

Originally Posted by BillyMac

4.44.3 SITUATION D: A1 throws the ball over the head of B1 and then takes several steps before catching it. RULING: Since the ball did not touch the floor, the tossing and subsequent catch is illegal. (9-4)

Nevadaref's rule citation has got to cover the violation in the caseplay. So why don't the caseplay numbers (both dealing with travels) match?

Nevadaref's rule citation gives me some measure of certainty that this is an illegal dribble violation, but there is still a glimmer of a travel violation (moving his pivot foot in excess of prescribed limits while holding the ball?) here.

Stupid NFHS rules editors.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

4.44.3 SITUATION D: A1 throws the ball over the head of B1 and then takes several steps before catching it. RULING: Since the ball did not touch the floor, the tossing and subsequent catch is illegal. (9-4)

"Several steps."

Sounds more like a travel than a double (illegal) dribble.

Stupid NFHS rules editors.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Case or rule? (Nevadaref cited a rule, not a caseplay.)

I picked up on that "during" also, making a perfect rule citation (except no rule violation listed in Rule 9, which only deals with second dribbles) for a batted ball during a dribble (the ball in the caseplay wasn't dribbled a second time, I'm not sure that is was dribbled a first time, but do know that the dribble was started). Can't a player start a dribble (release the ball toward the floor) and catch it before it hits the floor (especially if he never moves his feet)? The dribble started but did a dribble occur (so there can be a second illegal dribble)?.....

Can a player stay in one spot and bat the ball from one hand to the other? Can a player stay in one spot and throw the ball up in the air and catch it?

Of course he can, so there is no "dribble" started.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Raymond

... so there is no "dribble" started.

I thought so, because the ball never reached the floor. So how, as believed by some Forum members, can it be a double (illegal) dribble? Not only wasn't there a second dribble, there wasn't even a first dribble.

4-15-3: The dribble may be started by pushing, throwing or batting the ball
to the floor before the pivot foot is lifted.

Stupid NFHS rules editors.

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by Raymond

Can a player stay in one spot and bat the ball from one hand to the other? Can a player stay in one spot and throw the ball up in the air and catch it?

Of course he can, so there is no "dribble" started.

This helps answers some of Billy's questions. There is more to the story though. This is an instance in which it is helpful to know the history of NFHS basketball rules. Consult the NFHS basketball handbook if you can obtain one. It has a listing of all of the rules changes by year. One of them is the elimination of the air-dribble. Yes, there was something called an air-dribble many years ago.
A player could progress down the court by continually tapping the ball into the air while moving, like a seal hitting a beach ball with its nose. Now the definition of a dribble says that the ball must strike the floor and another part of that definition states that a player may not touch the ball twice between bounces on the floor. So for the action of a dribble to be legal the ball must strike the floor and this makes the old air-dribble an illegal dribble.
The NFHS also created rules to define a dribble for a motionless player. A player who stands still and bounces the ball is considered to be dribbling. A player who stands still and tosses the ball from one hand to the other or up into the air and catches it is not. A player who holds the ball and touches it to the floor is not. Why is that the case? Because the NFHS chose to make it so. Those are axiomatic cases.
Now to the remaining case, which is most important, and what Billy inquires about. Player who tosses the ball into the air and moves his pivot foot. We know from the traveling rule that the ball must be released prior to the pivot foot being lifted or a traveling violation has occurred, so we can ignore that part and focus on the sequence of toss and then move.
In this case if the player touches the ball before it strikes the floor, then that is the old air-dribble which is illegal. Therefore, an illegal dribble is the correct call. (This is precisely why Mary S was incorrect to alter the type of violation from illegal dribble to traveling in the NFHS Case Book several years ago. The player isn't holding the ball and excessively moving his pivot foot. He is dribbling in an illegal manner while attempting to move on the court.)
So a player who throws the ball in order to start a dribble, must allow it to strike the floor before touching it again. Doing otherwise has been deemed an illegal action and doesn't meet the definition of a proper dribble.

Obviously, all of the above is only for a player in control of the ball who deliberately releases it. If a player doesn't have control and is batting the ball into the air in an attempt to get it or accidentally has the ball slip from his grasp, none of the above dribbling or traveling rules apply. The official must make a judgment call on the factors of control and the release.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

Now to the remaining case, which is most important, and what Billy inquires about. Player who tosses the ball into the air and moves his pivot foot. We know from the traveling rule that the ball must be released prior to the pivot foot being lifted or a traveling violation has occurred, so we can ignore that part and focus on the sequence of toss and then move. In this case if the player touches the ball before it strikes the floor, then that is the old air-dribble which is illegal. Therefore, an illegal dribble is the correct call. (This is precisely why Mary S was incorrect to alter the type of violation from illegal dribble to traveling in the NFHS Case Book several years ago. The player isn't holding the ball and excessively moving his pivot foot. He is dribbling in an illegal manner while attempting to move on the court.) So a player who throws the ball in order to start a dribble, must allow it to strike the floor before touching it again. Doing otherwise has been deemed an illegal action and doesn't meet the definition of a proper dribble.

Thanks. Nice explanation Nevadaref, and a good history lesson. And that's the problem, ancient history. The only illegal dribble violation mentioned in the current NFHS rulebook in Rule 9 Violations is: 9-5 ILLEGAL DRIBBLE A player shall not dribble a second time after his/her first dribble has ended.

We do have this: 4-15: ART. 2 During a dribble the ball may be batted into the air provided it is permitted to strike the floor before the ball is touched again with the hand(s); but there's nothing about this situation in Rule 9 Violations.

I don't doubt the validity of Nevadaref's air dribble explanation, too bad it just doesn't match the current violations as written.

Stupid NFHS rules editors.

Is the air dribble related to the air guitar?