Punch Ball

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Jurassic Referee: Just curious, how many times in your career, did you have an opportunity to "not" make this call? I've been involved with basketball for over forty years, as a player, coach, fan, parent, and official, and I've never observed a player strike the ball with their fist, until yesterday.

More than a few, to be quite honest. Usually it's just a player knocking a throw-in or short pass to someone else, or starting a dribble with a fist with no one around. I just whisper in their ear "don't do dat". That's just me, though.

Here's a question for you...is it legal for the thrower on a throw-in to fist the ball inbounds? How about if the thrower kicks the ball inbounds on a throw-in?

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

I just whisper in their ear "don't do dat". That's just me, though.

[Bad Zebra]

Eesh. That's just wrong.

[Loudwhistle]

Yuck, now that's a Bad Zebra!!

[Johnny Ringo]

I have called this once in 18 years. Girls V game and a scramble for a loose ball when a player was on the floor punched the ball out of the huddle. I called it and nobody really knew what I called, but nobody yelled either. My partner knew the rule as well and said that was a first for him. Still waiting on the second instance!

[MelbRef]

So what's the mechanic for a punched ball?

I had a girls JV game last season where a player spiked the ball out of the lane during rebounding instead of grabbing it. It seemed like a natural volleyball reaction to me. (pretty funny actually)

Now that I understand the rule better. What is the mechanic?

[Adam]

Same as the mechanic for causing the ball to go through the basket from below, or a throwin spot violation, or any other violation without a specific mechanic. Hand up, verbalize the infraction, point the direction for the new throw in.