What's the right call here?

[Ray_from_Mi]

A friend called me today and asked this question.
Center jump to begin the game. Both touch the ball, A1 (one of the jumpers) reaches up and grabs the ball while still in the center circle.
Violation and arrow? or just violation? Did that rule get simplified just a while ago? I thought it was A1 has possession of ball and violates (center circle) so penalty would be that B gets the ball OOB and B gets the arrow due to the center circle violation. Which is it?

[btaylor64]

B gets the ball and A gets the arrow

[Adam]

Yes, this was clarified recently because there were competing interpretations on who gets the arrow. Some said A gained possession while violating. Others said A never gained legal possession, so B's throwin constituted the original possession, thus giving A the arrow.

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by Ray_from_Mi

A friend called me today and asked this question.
Center jump to begin the game. Both touch the ball, A1 (one of the jumpers) reaches up and grabs the ball while still in the center circle.
Violation and arrow? or just violation? Did that rule get simplified just a while ago? I thought it was A1 has possession of ball and violates (center circle) so penalty would be that B gets the ball OOB and B gets the arrow due to the center circle violation. Which is it?

Ray,
This was a recent change and the rule is now as follows:

4-12-1 . . . A player is in control of the ball when he/she is holding or dribbling a live ball inbounds. There is no player control when, during a jump ball, a jumper catches the ball prior to the ball touching the floor or a non-jumper, or during an interrupted dribble.

This means that the corresponding Case Book play was also changed to:

JUMP BALL TO START THE GAME
6.4.1 SITUATION C: Following the jump between A1 and B1 to start the first quarter, the jump ball: (a) is touched by A2 and it then goes out of bounds; (b) is touched simultaneously by A2 and B2 and it then goes out of bounds; (c) is simultaneously controlled by A2 and B2; or (d) is caught by A1. RULING: In (a), Team B will have a throw-in. The alternating-possession procedure is established and the arrow is set toward A's basket when a player of Team B has the ball for the throw-in. Team A will have the first opportunity to throw-in when the procedure is used. In (b) and (c), A2 and B2 will jump in the center restraining circle regardless of where the ball went out or where the held ball occurred. In (d), Team B will have a throw-in because of the violation and the arrow for the alternating-possession will be pointed towards Team A's basket. (4-12-1; 4-28-1)

[Ray_from_Mi]

Thanks for the feedback and rules intrepretation. This is such a great board to be on - so many contribute and so many more benefit from that. Thanks to all that replied.