Endline Play
 

Had a play in my MS boys game Thursday night. Player was out of bounds (legally), got one foot (other off floor) in bounds then touched the ball. I was in the L and made no call. My partner in the T calls the play dead stating he was still out of bounds.

We discussed the play and we both saw the play as above. I made no call thinking you only need one foot in to re-establish inbound status. She called it because he did not have two feet in bounds. What is the correct ruling? I could not find it in either the rule book or case book.

1. You were correct. One foot in, nothing out. No need to "re-establish with two feet." If you're in contact with your partner, point her to 4-35. There is no provision anywhere else requiring "two feet."

2. Even if I thought the player was out of bounds, there is no way in hell I'm making that call from Trail.

The player in in-bounds as per NFHS rules 7-1 and 7-2(a). The player was not touching anything out of bounds when he touched the ball.

Now that I look at 4-35, which I did at halftime of that game the other night, but in the rush of things just didn't see it, 4-35-2 states:

"When a player is touching the backcourt, out of bounds or the three-point line, the player is located in the backcourt, out of bounds or inside the three-point line, respectively."

That gives the answer clear as day. He is not touching out of bounds, therefore he was in-bounds.

Thank you for point it out Snaq.

Should Have Called The Mythbusters ...
 

If a player's momentum carries him or her off the court, he or she can be the first player to touch the ball after returning inbounds. That player must not have left the court voluntarily and must immediately return inbounds. That player must have something in and nothing out. It is not necessary to have both feet back inbounds. It is a violation for a player to intentionally leave the court for an unauthorized reason.

Also: You are where you were until you get where you're going.

Sadly, I've seen a high level varsity ref make this call; but at least it was in his primary.

Picked this up the other night.
 

Working a game, and my partner tells me of working with a partner who blew a call right in front of him.

First dead ball after he goes up to his partner and says, "see this whistle? Next time you make a call right in front of me I'm gonna shove it up your a$$!"

I got a laugh. Later in the game we were working, I'm trail, he was lead. player in "the gray area" of just below free-throw line extended away from me (2 person) rises up to shoot and came back down. Player may have kept a toe down on the floor. Partner was squared up on the player in question, and I almost blew. Suddenly a thought of a whistle up my as$ entered my mind. :eek:, I let him make the call!

All good.

I'm lead on a made basket. Team B gets to the ball, one foot out of bounds, one foot in the air over the endline when he throws the ball in. (how many times have you seen that?)
My partner, at C, blows his whistle and calls a violation because the player did not have both feet on the floor out of bounds. Could have killed him.

That guy was in the bleachers at my game last night. VB, visiting team, who happened to lead by 20 for most of the night, had a guy who routinely inbounded this way. The cries escalated.

He stepped in!

WATCH HIM STEPPING IN!

CAN'T YOU SEE HIM STEPPING IN??

Happened to me yesterday in a tournament 3rd place game. I'm lead, ball is loose, player who had made original play on the ball had gone just OB, gets back in and grabs the ball. C blows it dead and makes the dreaded "over-and-back" signal. At half, he talks about how I was watching the scrum and must have missed him coming in and "being the first to touch."

We had a short conversation about how that was legal and went right back about our business. Only call all day that got me worked up...

Four Eyes On The Ball ???
 

Was this part of his pregame?

I had this play at lead Friday :mad:

"Who's officiating your PCA if you're blowing my endline??"

Unfortunately, I've had clinicians at a "high level" camp that believe 2 feet in are required for re-establishing :eek:
Something in & nothing out is a good way to remember this play.

Almost, but not quite. Because 4-35-3 states that "the location of an airborne player. . . is the same as at the time such player was last in contact with the floor. . ."

So if the player was last in contact with the floor out of bounds and jumps, he's not inbounds simply because he's no longer touching out of bounds. He continues to be out of bounds until some part of him is touching the court inbounds.

I think you probably already know this. I'm just over-clarifying.

I had a partner last week give a direction on an out of bounds on my sideline, which might have been OK but he missed a touch by Team A, so he was pointing the wrong way. He started pointing to A's basket as I started pointing to B's basket. I come in to him and get him straightened out and indicate it is B's ball.

Team A's coach starts getting on me with "Mr. Official, you have GOT to trust your partner out there!"

Gee, thanks partner. :rolleyes:

Think of it this way. If a player is standing on one foot, inbounds, where is he?

Your play is no different, no matter what happened before this.

how could you think of putting air in your whistle if..."Player may have kept a toe down on the floor." either he did or he didnt yes its that simple lol and the thought of making a call in front of a P and a whistle up your a$$ well...that should never stop you from calling a violation or foul

I actually did this once. It was my first year, and likely within my first 10 games, too. After I made this mistake, it didn't feel right, and that was all the education I needed to know not to do it again.

I'm not sure what you ultimately did, but get together with your partner under the guise of a rule interpretation, correct your partner, and give the ball back to the team that deserves it.

I had a very good D1 official observe my game at camp this summer. He said to my partner, "He was the last one to touch it before going out, so he can't be. . . what?" We all looked at him stupidly until he said, "He can't be the first one to touch it. Ok?"

Sigh. Not exactly the same, but these kinds of simple misunderstandings shouldn't happen at that level.

The NCAA rule is different than the HS rule...which may be why the D1 said what he did.

NCAA 9-4-1 makes it a violation for a player to be the first to touch a ball, after establishing inbounds status, after stepping out of bounds "under his/her own volition."

That rule applies to players who run purposely OOB (usually to avoid or evade a defender and usually along the endline) and then receive a pass. Where as the HS rule makes it an immediate violation when the player leaves the court.

The D1 guy just got it wrong. Any player whose momentum takes him off the court can be the first to touch, except if dribbling the ball.

No. I posted the correct rule.

The subsection you posted references the rule (7-5.6.b) that says following a made basket, anyone from the offense may be out of bounds on the endline so they can receive a pass. If they are out of bounds (as allowed by this rule) and do not get a pass, they still may come inbounds and receive a pass without a violation. In all other instances under NCAA rules (men and women), a player may not return inbounds and be the first to touch the ball.

I removed that reference....my post is corrected above.