Ball Watching ...
 

2023-24 NFHS Basketball Rules Interpretations
SITUATION 5: B1 is defending A1 in Team A’s frontcourt. B1 runs out of bounds across the end line to avoid a screen set by A2. Upon returning to the court, B1 (a) intercepts a pass from A3 to A1; (b) touches the ball as it is passed from A3 to A1 before A1 retains possession for Team A. In both (a) and (b), B1 is the first player to touch the ball after returning to the playing court. RULING: (a) Out-of-bounds violation; (b) no violation. COMMENT: B1 left the court under the player’s own volition and became the first player to touch the ball after returning to the playing court. In (a), a violation is called due to the advantage gained by B1’s actions that resulted in Team B gaining possession. In (b), Team A retained possession after the touch by B1 – play continues with Team A in possession. (9-3-3)

Wow! A lot going on here, especially if everything else except B1 running out of bounds to avoid a screen occurs outside one's primary coverage area.

Also, up until now I usually thought of a situation of a player voluntarily running out of bounds to gain an advantage as being an offensive player.

The good news is that I only saw the old rule, with an offensive player, called once in forty-four years (by my partner). Never called it myself.

Hopefully it will be another forty-four years until the next time that I see it.

That's why they had to change the rule.

it might be 44 years before you see it, but it won't even be 44 games before it happens.

And, it's just not that hard to see and call in practice, if you pay attention to the players in your primary. You should have peripheral awareness of all of them and the ball anyway.

Peripheral Awareness ...
 

In addition to Raymond, others, on other websites, have suggested a delayed violation signal (outstretched fist) for a player who voluntarily goes out of bounds, suggesting that it was an "unapproved" NCAA signal.

That was actually on the Maine IAABO video! I think it’s a good idea.

Is this also a college mechanic?


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Initially Surprised ...
 

If I saw it, I would have called it. In the game in which my partner called it, I was initially surprised that the team was running this type of illegal play (using a double screen) and I was about to call it but my partner beat me to the punch.

However, to bob's point, over forty plus years I have, on only two, or three, occasions warned players to, "Don't do that!".

Player Stepping Out Of Bounds Under Own Volition ...
 

Found out last night at our local Interpretation (New Rules) Meeting that Connecticut (a 100% IAABO state using IAABO "rules", "interpretations", mechanics, and signals) will use the delayed violation signal for a player stepping out of bounds under their own volition.

Well I’ll be darned. No sooner had we discussed this than I worked a Fall AAU game yesterday and had a textbook call for this. I was L, saw the offensive player race past me OOB, rainbow out to the perimeter, and catch a pass. Called it without hesitation. This is at best a once-a-year call for me. So I suppose I’ve already used my quota for this season. [emoji3]

But I didn’t think to use the delayed violation signal! That’s a mandatory deduction, right?


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Last Year, Old Rule, Pass Not Caught ...
 

Would you have called this without hesitation last season (before the rule change) before the pass was caught?

Old rule: 9-3-3: A player must not leave the court for an unauthorized reason.

Ball Watching ...
 

Truthfully, yes. The one time I did call it last year the play was almost identical, and I waited to see what happened. I think more or less the interpretation THEN is the same as what is codified NOW.

I suppose what’s different this year is that “own volition” is ignored if there’s no advantage gained. While I’ve never called it, until this year I’ve understood that I should call this violation, for example, on a defender who goes around a screen OOB. Now that’s no longer the case, unless said defender manages to immediately get the ball turned over to him/her.


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Old Rule ...
 

Using the old rule it was not necessary for the offender to catch a pass but to just leave the court for an unauthorized reason.

I would still use it and I will use it regardless of the approval process. Why? Because it makes it clear what you are about to call. We used to use the kicked ball signal before it was an "approved" signal. So it makes little difference to me what is approved at this point. If that is the worst someone can say about something I do, then so be it.

Peace

BTW, never called this on a defender and the rule has been around at the NCAA for years (over a decade). Even the offensive player violating is rare. It might see one time where a kid goes out, but they do not get the ball.

Peace