Women's Championship Game

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by jkjenning

The rules, taken with the case plays, do leave room for debate on this. The judgment of an official (not one's ability to "read minds") is a common part of interpreting how the rules are to be applied (was it a shot attempt or a pass? was the contact intentional or incidental? etc.), and the key to defining the point at which a double dribble occurs seems to be whether the official determines that a pass was attempted or a dribble was to be continued. If a pass was attempted, then the dribbler must touch the ball again before the pass can be ruled a dribble; if, in the judgment of the official, a second dribble was begun, then the violation is immediate.

That's exactly why the vast majority of officials imo will always judge an airball to be a try. They would have to be a mind reader to know that the player intended to pass the ball instead of shoot.

The other option after ending the dribble would be a fumble, which is also legal to go and get. Whether it was a fumble vs. a pass vs. a dribble is always a judgment call too.

One of the oldest adages in officiating is "If you aren't sure, don't call it". Speaking my own behalf, I can't be sure that a player meant to dribble until he actually does dribble. Sorry, but I'm not going to call any violation until I'm sure that one has actually been committed. If you blow your whistle, and the dribbler then turns away from the ball before touching it again, you have some mighty tall 'splaining to do if asked. And I don't have a clue personally how you could explain it.