Can anyone explain....

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Rodical

....WHY....the rule is: "there is no team control during a throw-in". There MUST be some reasonable explanation, but it just seems more natural that once the player has the ball.....his team is in control of that ball. Am I missing something obvious, or is this simply an attempt by the rules committee to confuse?

Opinions count

My following remarks apply equally to both NCAA and NFHS, except that the NCAA changed its definition of team control a few years back.

Until the early 1990's, I think, it may have been the late 1980's but I do not feel like climbing up into the attic to check for sure, but when the change was made is not important (not 1890's, ) the ball was dead during a throw-in and did not become live until it was touched by a player inbouds or out-of-bounds (assuming that the thrower released the ball so that it crossed the boundary plane before being touched by a player inbounds or out-of-bounds).

The concept behind player and team control is that the ball is live and has either frontcourt or backcourt status. When the ball is being held by a player out of bounds the ball was dead (now live) does not have frontcourt or backcourt status. The NCAA changed its team control definition to reduce the number of free throws being shot for common fouls.

So ends the history lesson.

MTD, Sr.