Made basket/throw in

[just another ref]

Originally Posted by BigCat

Yes, he does possess it in this second example. Why does that matter under rules? In the original OP the player is completely out of bounds. Count started, player touches ball giving it OB status, fumbles it 3 feet forward into Court. Because he's in a hurry to throw it in to open teammate.

The key is that control by the thrower is not necessary for a legal throw-in. Therefore it's all about judging the intent of the player. If he is trying to grab the ball and fumbles it, he's entitled to go and pick it up just like any other fumble, whether he was out of bounds or not. If he has control, then fumbles, it's all on him. And lastly, if he tries to tap the ball toward a teammate and it goes astray, that's all on him, too.