Coach didn't like violation call
 

Tie game with about 10 seconds left. Visiting team inbounding ball endline backcourt. Five second violation. Home team inbounding ball under own basket. Five second violation. The coach didn't like the call because thrower released ball before I blew my whistle. My partner told me this coach was a former official. I explained to the coach that the ball becomes dead on the violation. Not on the whistle. Would anybody handle this differently? Visiting team drove the court to win the game. No OT.

At the time, there's not really anything you could've done differently.

However, next time you have a similar situation, make sure you don't blow the whistle after the ball leaves the thrower's hand. If in doubt, play on with no violation.

Back to Back 5 seconds throw in violation...is your count too fast?

Sounds like you were just taking care of business.

Or were you the one who let someone drive the length of the court for a winning bucket, too?

As long as your count for the V violation = count for H violation, you did well. The ball could be out of the player's hands, though mot by very much at all.

My personal method is to make sure the ball isn't "coming out of the hands" as I hit 5. This prevents an errant quick whistle. In reality, I probably give 5 seconds plus a heartbeat. I think it's better than constantly having violations.

+1

Being a crucial point in the tied game & knowing you are giving the ball back to the visiting team, maybe put some strong, confident verbal behind the whistle... TWEET "before the release 5 seconds, red ball." JMO
Hell, I wasnt there maybe you did that!

There's no reason not to hit your whistle at 5 seconds on this play. You're counting, you know when it's coming.

He set the pick.

It's almost impossible to count too fast without dislocating your shoulder. Most are too slow, never seen anyone too fast.

Very true, imho.

Heard the opposite of this at clinic this year. I can't remember if it was Tom Lopes or his Asst. Exec. Dir. They had half the room turn and watch, and the other half (mine) close their eyes and do a five second count. From the other half of the room's reaction and the speakers comments, the counting half were genaerally a bit too fast. I was just about done when this reaction happened, so I think I'm either ok and/or a tad bit slower than actual 5/10 seconds.

Very valid point, in this case. The whistle once you clearly hit 5 (YOU know EXACTLY when that is going to be) alleviates this in MOST, but not all, cases.

I would tend to agree, HOWEVER, I have seen (as a coach and observer) MANY officials hand the ball to the inbounder and hit "1" at the same time. It is important to hand/bounce the ball to the inbounder, THEN begin your count.

Here's what I was taught for handling throw-ins:
1) raise arm opposite thrower.
2) hand ball to thrower, using other arm.
3) take a step back/sideways from the thrower.
4) begin count with arm nearest thrower.

Following this mechanic makes it basically impossible to do what you're stated above.

That is what I do when I am handing the ball to the thrower. The step back has you avoid a soft karate chop to the gut and gives the first second time to occur for the start of the count. The step back on a bounce to the thrower accomplishes the same thing.

Interesting, I always raise the arm nearest the thrower, cross over to hand it to him, and count away from him. It accomplishes the same thing with the count, as my arm is as far away as possible from the count swing when I hand the ball to the player.