Hand part of the ball?

[crazy voyager]

Originally Posted by Jay R

Crazy,

I think you're right about the rulebook. But here in Canada, every official that I've worked with uses the same principle as our American friends. The hand is part of the ball, figuratively speaking.

I would be curious as to what is the official FIBA interpretation? I find it hard to believe that it would be a foul in International basketball to slap the hand of a player holding the ball. Then again, this is the same organization that says it not basket intereference for a defensive player to touch the ball by going through the bottom of the basket.

J

I was hoping to bring out a rule quote here and say that you're wrong about going through the bottom of the basket not being a violation. And it was damned close I was going to say you're right, until I looked a little closer. Firstly I found this:

13.2.2 Reaching through the basket from beneath and touching the ball during a pass or rebound is a violation.
translated from swedish
But later on, this comes up:
31.2.4Illegal touching of the ball occurs when
...
a player reaches through the basket and touches the ball
...
also translated

So, reaching through the basket and touch the ball has to be a violation. At least in my book.

About the hand and the ball thing I can't find a rules quote. Nothing about it being alowed or not being allowed to slap the hand of a dribbler. So I'll keep looking, but at least I've been thought the ball and hand are separate things, and hitting the hand is illegal.

And about the blocks, yes offcourse the best blocks are the one when the ball has left the hand and when the defender gets the ball back. But, a lot of blocks occur when the ball is still in the hand, and imo those should be allowed, if the offensive player doesn't shield the ball, too bad, jmo.