5 seconds on throw-in
 

When does the 5 second count on the throw-in stop? On the release of the ball by the thrower, or on the touch of the ball inbounds?

Fed: the thrower-in has 5 seconds to release the ball to an inbounds player.

Imagine this:

Late late in 4th quarter, team B leads by 3 points and team A scores a basket to cut the lead to 1 point. There are 11 seconds left in the game. B gets the throw-in and uses most of the 5 seconds in inbound the ball. Team B sets up a wall with four players near their backcourt corner, such that the sideline and endline are used as two boundaries, and the other four B players set up a wall of sorts. B5 then inbounds the ball by releasing the ball and having it bounce in the area bounded by the sideline, endline, and the team B 4-player wall.

4 more seconds tick off with A not getting to the ball. Game over. :p

"You Are Correct, Sir" (Ed McMahon) ...
 

JugglingReferee is correct. mplagrow may be confused because about twenty years ago the five second count ended when the ball was touched inbounds.

Twenty years ago....my, you're a young whiper snapper.......

Call a game with a cane do ya?

Once He Left A "Present" On An Assistant Coach's Shoe ...
 

It's a white cane. They won't let me bring my Seeing Eye dog on the court.

Ha thats funny because I had a fan yell out to me this weekend about my seeing eye dog was running loose in the hallway. It actually made me laugh out loud.

I'm still a young guy :D, but that was the rule when I started (1987). Have no clue when it changed, but not too long after that.

Invoke the American's with Disablities Act. They have to let the dog on the court and he can bite the coach for yelling at you.:D

Fans Say The Darndest Things ...
 

I had a good natured exchange with a fan a few years ago when he said something similar: "Hey Referee. Would you like me to give your dog some water?" "What dog?" "You're Seeing Eye Dog in your car."

I had a fan ask the entire crew as we came out before the game, "is this your phone." as he pointed to a cell phone on the bleachers. Of course we all indicated that it was not our phone. He said, "I thought it must have been one of yours, because I see it has a lot of missed calls."

I punched him in the mouth.:p

A guy I worked with once has a half of an arm because of a birth defect (other arm is a normal one). Great ref, worked many years. One day, we were working a very tight game, and he was approaching the table to report a foul, and out of the stands comes: "hey ref, do you got one eye too?" He had to chuckle, and said, no, but my partner only has one ear! It got really quiet in the gym, and I chuckled and told the players, this may be the only time you'll have two "disabled" guys on the floor with you. Never saw so many deer in the headlights looks. LOL

You should have asked him if he wanted a pain reliever. When he asked what for you should have dropped him with a boot to the skull.