running out of bounds, screen

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by rainmaker

Hey, I'll ask the questions here!

Maybe I'm not understanding what's legal and what's illegal. Let me try a caseplay, maybe that'll clarify what I mean. Which will help clarify the rule.

A1 dribbling up the sideline in backcourt (I know, stupid, but we're not talking D1 here!) B1 has good tight defensive position alongside. B2 and B3 set a screen directly infront of A1 just beyond the division line. A1 sees the play set up, passes to A2 who is just crossing the division line between the tops of the keys. Now A1 steps oob around the screen, and behind the screen (FC) steps back inbounds. A2 still has the ball. Now A1 is back inbounds, and A2 has the ball. If A2 passed to A1, would A1 be the first to touch after coming back in? A2 still had "possession" when A1 established herself inbounds, so wouldn't A2 be the "first to touch"? If you practiced this, and pulled it off, seems to me you'd be gumming up three defenders at midcourt and clearing A1 for a pretty good cut to the basket.

But perhaps there's something I don't understand.

In your play, it would be violation in NCAA. Since A2 had the ball when A1 went OOB, as soon as A1 caught the pass from A2, A1 would be "the first to touch" after coming back inbounds. If A2 happened to pass it to A3 while A1 is coming back inbounds, then A3 passes it to A1, that would be legal.

The "usual" play where this happens is the screen along the baseline that frees up the 3-point shooter. A1 might be guarded in the right corner while A2 holds the ball at the top of the key. A's teammates set the screen on A1's defender, A1 runs OOB along the baseline to the other corner, A2 hits them with pass and A1 hits the 3 pointer.