Girls state semi-final Friday night. Team A has a 3 point lead with 11.5 seconds to play. They are throwing the ball in in the front court, in front of B's bench, a little more than halfway to the center line. Obviously, team B is denying furiously.

The throw is headed pretty-much right down the sideline towards the baseline. Along the way, it seems to be deflected, but continues bouncing over the baseline. The clock never started during this action. There is much confusion. My view was blocked out briefly but it did appear that the ball was deflected, but I couldn't tell by whom.

After speaking to both coaches, the official gave the ball to team B at the exact spot where team A's throw had taken place. That would indicate to me that the throw had not been deflected. During the ensuing time out, someone suggested that the ball might have hit the official who was administering the throw in. That would explain the apparent deflection as well as the return to the original spot for Team B's throw.

Anyway, team B gets the ball and banks in a wild 3-pointer at the buzzer to tie the game and send it into overtime. While bedlam is taking place around me, someone mentioned that the clock not starting when the ball had supposedly touched the official had just cost team A the game.

Here is my question. (finally) On a throw in, if the ball touches an official, should the clock start? I said no, because only the ball being touched by a player can start the clock. Also, if an official is part of the floor, then the ball touching him is just like the ball touching the floor which means no starting of the clock.

Am I right, or did I make myself sound like an ignorant @$$ in front of everyone?

Not starting the clock is the proper thing to do. Giving the ball to B at the original spot is also correct.

If the ball touched the administering official on the throwin; it's an immediate violation assuming he's standing out of bounds with the thrower.

If the official is standing in bounds, which he shouldn't be doing when administering a throw-in it is treated the same as the ball bouncing on the floor in bounds.

The official keeps his arm up, and the clock doesn't start, and if the ball sails out of bounds, it is a violation with team B getting the ball at the origional spot of the throwin.

4th quarter, and team A is throwing-in the ball in their FC and in front of the B bench?

Am I missing something?

Good catch Mike.

I think that he possibly means that the throw went towards the front court. He didn't word it that way, but that logically makes some sense. It does however make the idea that the ball hit an official a little harder to believe as the official should have been to the back court side of the thrower and definitly OOB.

Here's a hypothetical questions about the official being part of the floor.

I'm stradling the OOB line, one leg in, one leg out. If the ball hits the leg that's in bounds is it considered to be inbounds even though my other foot is OOB??

It hasn't happened yet, but I thought about this scenario a few times on the court, just incase it were to happen, and I'm not sure what to do.

'

Ball is OOB. An official's locataion with regards to inbounds/OOB is handled the same way as it is for a player.

[Edited by Camron Rust on Mar 14th, 2005 at 10:43 PM]

Rule 7 Out of Bounds and the Throw-in
SECTION 1 OUT-OF-BOUNDS — PLAYER, BALL
ART. 1 . . . A player is out of bounds when he/she touches the floor, or any object other than a player, on or outside a boundary. For location of a player in the air, see 4-35.
ART. 2 . . . The ball is out of bounds when it touches:

a. A player who is out of bounds.
b. Any other person, the floor, or any object on or outside a boundary.
c. The supports or back of the backboard.
d. The ceiling, overhead equipment or supports.

NOTE: When the rectangular backboard is used, the ball is out of bounds if it passes over the backboard.


Therefore, if the official is touching OOB, even just barely, and the ball hits him, it is OOB.

My apologies! My wording was incorrect. The team which was trying to in-bound was in frontcourt in front of their own bench. Sorry about the confusion.

As I said in my original post, my view was blocked out somewhat and I did not see the exact location of the official. I assumed he was fully OOB, but I would think that would make it rather unlikely that he would be hit by a ball thrown down the sideline.

I had this happen to me in zone this year.
AAR