Push, held ball or nothing.

[Coltdoggs]

Last night in my 5th/6th grade rec league semi-final game had a play that I wanted to put forth for comment. It's one you had to have seen and I'll interject conversation that took place after the game...

With about :20 left in the game...Team A is up by 5....Player A1 throws an arching inbound pass to A2 who is running right up the sideline by the benches and table. The pass is long and B2 intercepts it as he is making like a DB in the full court press...as he controls it, he and A2 are now facing each other and A2 trying to make a play on it, reaches out and gets both hands on the ball ...in an effort to avoid contact and almost as if he was trying to stop himself, his momentum causes him to push with his hands only on the ball (there was no body contact)...these caused B2 to pivot around and he lost his balance and travelled (pivot foot lifeted and returned to the floor).

Whatcha got? As I see it the "contact" did put B2 at a disadvantage but with both players having their hands on the ball, could this have been a held ball? (I know, I know, you had to see it)

Now....

I was set up at about 1/2 court right on the line and was L on this inbounds...as the play appraoched me I began to backpedal toward the other end of the court to stay ahead of the play....the play happened in a direct line of sight infront of me but I was straightlined and B2 had is back to me so I was not in position to see A2's hands or the action that occured and what I saw from my POV was the travel and that's what I called and when asked by coach what I gave him.

A Coach was obviously upset becaues from his POV he saw the "push". B ended up winning the game by 2...A hit a 3 at the buzzer to cut the 5 point lead down...

After the game I asked my fellow board members who were at the table working book/clock if I missed something on that play...they confirmed what I stated that in fact A2 had his hands on the ball but no body contact occured and it was more like he was trying to stop himself....

So my question is/was back to push or held ball situation....typically when I think of a push, I do think arms but I also have in my mind pushing around the chest, side or in the back to gain position....never really thought about it in the context of this play....Perhaps in this, it's too quick of a whistle for held ball but I was just wondering if pushing the ball is still a push and should be whistled as such. Again, no body contact but there was displacement...