When does the ball become dead?

[M&M Guy]

NHref007 - welcome!

Assuming you are dealing with NFHS rules, 6-7-4 says the ball is dead when there is a player-control or team control foul. Since you said there is no team control during a shot, your instincts are correct that this doesn't make the ball dead. So, then we go to 6-7-7 that says the ball becomes dead when a foul occurs. However, there is the exception at the end of that section that says the ball does not become dead until after a try or tap ends, or the airborne shooter returns to the floor. (With other caveats as to whether time expires during that period, etc.)

So, your instincts are correct, and now you know where to find the backup in the rules.