Rule 9 Section 2 Throw-in Provisions
 

Team A scores. B1 grabs the ball after it goes throught the basket. B1 steps with one foot out of bounds and keeps the other foot inbounds continuously. B1 then passes the ball to B2 (who has both feet inbounds) who is walking toward and facing B1. B2 steps out of bounds with intentions to become the thower. B2 steps out of bounds with both feet and inbounds the ball promptly.

Is this play legal?

Not uncommon.
 

But what was going on here?

Was the player who stepped out of bound making a throw-in pass or giving the ball to a teammate to make the throw-in pass? Or both?

Sometimes A1 is making a throw-in, and A2 thinks they are giving the ball to them to make the throw-in and they commit a traveling violation or an OOB violation.

This is why they pay us the big bucks! To sort it all out.

Judgement call IMHO, seems as you describe it, B2 was clearly going to inbound from the get go. I'm going to guess this was some 5-6-7th grade girls game. I'd have to see it.

The Land Of Steady Habits, And High Game Fees ...
 

I didn't know that you officiated in Connecticut?

No...
 

.... but snow and freezing cold are never an issue in Cali.

(ironically, we are due to have snow on the peaks around the Bay Area tonight and tomorrow!)

You can answer this question yourself: provided you're judging that B2 will inbound the ball, what you're observing is B1 and B2 passing a dead ball.

So: what restrictions do the rules place on teammates passing a dead ball?

Shut up.

14" of the white stuff up here over the past 24 hours.

You are correct. It was a 7th grade girls game. B2 seemed like she intended to get the ball from B1 to inbound it. I wasn't sure if intent was a factor but from the responses here intent is very important.

Thanks for the replies.

Just about that much here. I've shoveled twice today, and each time it needed shoveling again when I was done. Grrrr.