Double violation... but not on a free throw shot

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by bradfordwilkins

Had a fun one today -- Coming down the floor and A1 and B1 are josstling at each other a little and A1 is trying to get open and runs out of bounds (a good 3 feet outside the sideline) and is simultaneously followed by B1 who goes out a step behind him.

Impossible by rule (or case). You must decide which happened first.

[jdw3018]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

Impossible by rule (or case). You must decide which happened first.

I agree with Bob.

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

Impossible by rule (or case). You must decide which happened first.

I'm not convinced. By rule opponents can simultaneously violate during a free throw, during a jump ball, simultaneously commit BI, simultaneously goaltend. Those are specifically acknowledged using the verbiage "simultaneous violation" or "simultaneously commit violations". It is also, by rule, possible for opponents to simultaneously commit an OOB violation by simultaneously being the last to touch the ball before it goes OOB.

The somewhat recent expansion of defensive violations (excessive swinging of elbows and leaving the court) only expands the combinations and permutations of possible simultaneous violations.

So while by the laws of physics you are correct, I'm not so sure about the rules of basketball.