Here's one for everyone: I was watching an AAU game last weekend and this is what happened. Jump ball to start game, A1 taps ball towards B's basket. A2 catches ball in stride takes one dribble, finger rolls a layup, that hits the back of rim and falls out. Everyone is yelling, so A2 realizes that he has shot at the wrong basket, so he grabs the ball and starts another dribble towards his own basket. What do we have and Why?
All players were confused as well as the officials.

By rule you could have a double dribble as soon as he caught the "rebound." However. In AAU, hit the whistle and give A the ball OOB clearly indicating who is going which way.

How is it a double dribble? :)

Tony,
Remember that A2 is shooting at B's basket. Therefore, it is not a try.

I'd call the double-dribble violation when he dribbles again. I know that throwing the ball off your opponent's backboard counts as a dribble, but I don't think that the ring is included.



[Edited by Nevadaref on Mar 23rd, 2005 at 12:36 AM]

I just checked. There is no mention of the ring in the rule.

Here's the exact wording:

RULE 4 - SECTION 4 BALL LOCATION, AT DISPOSAL

ART. 5 . . . A ball which touches the front faces or edges of the backboard is treated the same as touching the floor inbounds, except that when the ball touches the thrower's backboard it does not constitute a part of a dribble.

Thank you very much, I'll be here all weekend! Don't forget to tip your waitress!
 

Which is exactly why I asked Snaq why he would whistle a double dribble as soon as the player caught the "rebound."

It's okay, NV, I can wait for you to catch up. ;)

Sorry, I'm three hours behind you out here on PST. I should have noticed your :)

It's still an illegal second dribble when they dribble again.

The original post says they dribble once and then attempt a lay up. I suppose you can consider this an interrupted dribble, they then GRAB the rebound, which ends the dribble and then they dribble again.

Hmmm, doesnt seem like a double dribble to me either. A tap or try is the same on either end of the floor, wrong goal or not.

Sorry bud, but that's not true.

RULE 4 - SECTION 40 SHOOTING, TRY, TAP
ART. 2 . . . A try for field goal is an attempt by a player to score two or three points by throwing the ball into a team's own basket.


This play is a double dribble; it is just a matter of when.
Tony and I are saying that bouncing the ball off the ring at the opponent's basket does not constitute a dribble.

When the player catches the ball and dribbles again, that is a violation.

Case 4.4.5. If the ball hits the opponent's backboard, it is considered the same as touching the floor. If player A ,in all that play, never touches the ball with both hands, he may continue dribbling, however, if he caught the "rebound" (remember, by rule, this is not a "try"), with both hands and restarted a dribble, it is a double dribble, for touching the ball simoultaneously with both hands during a dribble. You may play the ball off your own backboard (if you deem it a "try"), but the ball coming off the opponent's backboard is considered a continuation of a dribble.

All well and good, Frank, but the ball never hit the backboard on this play. Go back and check the original post again. :)

Because A2 moved his pivot foot and recaught the ball? It's the same as A2 stopping the dribble, throwing the ball over B2, moving and recatching the ball. I think that's classified as an illegal dribble.

In any event, it is a violation and I disagree with snaqwells' comment to give the ball back to A (assuming the jumpers were lined up in the correct direction and A2 was the only one confused).

I could agree with that Bob. The ball never hit the backboard, so we don't treat it as hitting the floor, so it is not a legal dribble. If the player moved his pivot foot during this fingerroll action and then recaught the ball, that could well fall under casebook play 4.15.4 Sit D part (a), which makes it an illegal dribble at that point.

Just be a whole lot easier if the player could make a layup.