interesting boo-boo

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally posted by blindzebra

She referred to a player stepping on an OOB line while dribbling, but not actually touching the ball. Now, if that player stopped dribbling before he/she touched the ball again, how can he/she still be considered the dribbler? The note in R9-3 applies to a dribbler only, doesn't it?

[/B]

What's not clear?

9-3 NOTE: The dribbler HAS committed a violation if he/she steps on or outside a boundary, even if he/she IS NOT touching the ball while he/she is out of bounds.

It does not get any clearer than that JR.
[/B][/QUOTE]I agree that it certainly is clear. It definitely says the "dribbler". Again, though, what if the player immediately stopped as soon as soon as he/she stepped on the line- iow, just let the ol' ball keep abouncing in front of him/her? Is he/she still considered a "dribbler" then, even though he/she can't possibly have player control? Doesn't a dribbler cease being a dribbler as soon as player control is lost? If so, isn't he/she now just considered as a simple ol' player without the ball that just happened to step on an OOB line? And no, that's not necessarily an interrupted dribble either. It could be considered simply a loose ball if the original dribbler never bothered to go after it.

We need JeanPaul Sartre to give us the definitive answer on this one- "When is a dribbler not a dribbler?".