Violation or not? Stepping IB's without the ball

[Four-Oh]

[Note: sorry for those who read this just after it was originally posted: I hit the wrong key and it was posted prematurely! ]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

How is NCAA AR155 relevant to the play in the original post? They passed the ball in that play. In the play being discussed, the player just dropped the ball OOB and then stepped in-bounds without the ball. There is no violation that I know of under either NCAA or NCAA rules that says a player without the ball can't legally step inbounds and then go back OOB during an non- designated spot throw-in.

Because, in both the OP and this play, the player was first to touch the ball upon returning OOB (i.e., no teammate receives the pass along the endline). The ruling states that it is A1's retouching of the ball, not the return OOB, that is the violation.

However, having read your response and that of other officials who have posted responses here (and elsewhere): as far as Fed goes, it seems that the consensus is that this is not a violation. I defer to your experience (and my first reaction!)
Andrew