I was working a 4th grade boys tournament last night. One kid went after a loose ball and threw it over his head before he went out of bounds. He then stepped back in bounds, got the ball, and shot it. I let the play go (based on what I've read on the forum), my co-official blew the whistle and said the player can't be first one to touch it after going out of bounds. I said I thought once he re-established position he could get the ball. My supervisor, an NCAA official was there and agreed with my co-official.

If you are allowed to go back in and get your own saved ball from out of bounds, how come nobody including college officials know the rule?

You were right
 

I think it's casebook 7.7.1D, if I recall. Unless you were playing NFL rules. If you were playing NFL rules, you can't come inbounds and be the first one to touch the ball.

this play was perfectly legal the way you describe it.

I will find it in the casebook and take it to the next set of games where my supervisor will be there. thanks.....

Your co-official and supervisor are a few years behind! I wish I could remember the year, but the rule was changed that allows the player to be the first to touch the ball once he/she has re-established in-bounds.

Just as an aside, but be VERY careful on how you approach the situation with your supervisor. Some have a "God" complex and don't like up-and-coming officials telling them the rules, why they think their call was right, etc.

You'll have to gauge your supervisor yourself and see what the best way to approach the situation will be.

You'll need a long memory. :) That rule has been the same for at least the last 50 years.

can he dribble after coming back in? thanks

It depends. If he established player control while saving the ball, then throwing the ball back in-bounds is the same as starting a dribble. Iow, when he then comes back in bounds, he can continue dribbling. He can't come back in, grab the ball with both hands(ending his first dribble), and then dribble again. That's an illegal second dribble. This should be in the cited case play above iirc.

I saw a similar play today at a girls H.S. varsity tournament quarterfinal game in New Jersey. A player was carried out of bounds by her own momentum and then returned to the court to retrieve the ball, being the first to touch the ball after returning to the court. The lead official, a few feet away from the play, ruled this a violation and awarded the ball to the other team. My wife, sitting next to me, asked me if the call was right. I said I didn't think so, it's not like the NFL rule, and as far as I could recall, the rule says a player cannot leave the playing court to avoid a block or screen. In fact, as I recall without consulting my rules book, the penalty was changed recently from a T-foul (?) to a violation to encourage us to call it more often.

Actually, the wording is that a player may not leave the court "for an unauthorized reason." which I think begs the question, "What the heck is an authorized reason?" Is there a list of authorized reasons somewhere? Is diving for a loose ball an authorized reason? Who authorized that reason, me? Do I have time to yell at the player, "I authorize you to go for the ball!" Maybe I'm beating it to death, but I think the way it's worded leaves something to be desired.

Isn't the rule in Women's college that a player cannot be first to touch after leaving the court "voluntarily?" I've seen this called by one of my favorite partners back in Des Moines (no, not Junker.)

I knew it wasn't Junker. He's nobody's favorite partner.

I've been around a while too, just not at his level. No problem here though as we are friends and I will enjoy telling him I was right this time!

Yes, that's (generally) the rule. It applies (mainly) to running arond a screen and receiving the ball. It doesn't apply to going OOb because of momentum chasing a ball.