Airborne Fumble - Rule question.

[Jurassic Referee]

[QUOTE=Nevadaref]I disagree with JR. I believe that the action in all three plays is legal. The player FUMBLED the ball and therefore was not in control, thus couldn't travel.

[QUOTE]Nevada, did you read the original post? Maybe you should go back and re-read it. You know better than that. The player fumbled the ball after he became an airborne shooter.

A1 picked up the dribble. A1 then jumped to shoot. While airborne, A1 fumbled the ball. A1 recovered the fumble without any other player touching the ball. A1 then came back down . If A1 came back down with the ball, it's a travel as per the rule that I cited. If A1 drops the ball after the fumble and then is the first to touch it after he comes down, then that's an illegal second dribble. None of the plays are legal.

[ChuckElias]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

The player fumbled the ball after he became an airborne shooter.

So you can only recover your own fumble if you fumbled with your feet on the ground?

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by ChuckElias

So you can only recover your own fumble if you fumbled with your feet on the ground?

Who said anything about that?

A player who has left his feet with player control to shoot then fumbles the ball while airborne, recovers that fumble while still airborne, and then comes back down with player control without shooting or passing the ball? Are you saying that isn't traveling?

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Who said anything about that?

A player who has left his feet with player control to shoot then fumbles the ball while airborne, recovers that fumble while still airborne, and then comes back down with player control without shooting or passing the ball? Are you saying that isn't traveling?

Yes, that's what I'm saying.

The key is that player control was lost. Whether the player is airborne or not when that happens doesn't matter. There is no traveling violation.

4-44-3b is written such that the player has control the whole time. I don't think that it applies here.

Lastly, a fumble is not a dribble, so the play in which the ball is recovered after the player comes back down and the ball hit the floor is certainly not a travel.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

Yes, that's what I'm saying.

The key is that player control was lost. Whether the player is airborne or not when that happens doesn't matter. There is no traveling violation.

4-44-3b is written such that the player has control the whole time. I don't think that it applies here.

Lastly, a fumble is not a dribble, so the play in which the ball is recovered after the player comes back down and the ball hit the floor is certainly not a travel.

Nevada, I ain't gonna change your mind obviously. May I suggest that you take this one to your state interpreter. You're wrong.

[Camron Rust]

Gotta go with Nevada on this one. A fumble, by definition, is not a dribble. Therefore, it can't be an illegal dribble. Also, the travel rule JR referred to is releasing the ball on a dribble after lifting the pivot foot. Again, it is not a dribble...therefore not a travel. A fumbled ball (judgement of official) can always be picked up.