If a player who hasn't yet dribbled throws a pass, then recovers the pass himself before anyone else touches it, is it traveling? On the playground, "self-pass" would be called every time. But the rules seem to allow starting a dribble by throwing the ball. Given that, couldn't a player run up to his untouched pass and start dribbling? Or is the official supposed to make a judgment that he intended to pass, not dribble? Either way, I haven't found a rule forbidding the so-called self-pass.

Thanks for any replies!

Casebook 4.15.4 Situation E (b)
A1 throws the ball (over the head of B1) and then takes several steps before catching it.

Ruling: Traveling violation: A1 may not move his pivot foot without violating. Since the ball did not touch the floor, the tossing and subsequent catch is not part of a dribble nor is it the start and end of a dribble.

If he has not established a pivot foot, I believe you must consider one foot to be it anyway, as in 4.43.3 Sit B.

Marty, I don't have my rule or case book in front of me and this question got me to wondering. Refresh me if you could: in NFHS rules, can player A start a dribble by throwing the ball as far ahead as he/she likes as long as it comes into contact with the floor first assuming the dribbler does not catch the ball and then start the dribble? In other words, player A throws the ball ahead and:

1. catches the ball after it has contacted the floor, comes to a two-foot stop and then begins the dribble. Violation or legal play?

2. starts/continues the dribble by dribbling the ball after it has contacted the floor. Violation or legal play?

My grammar is horrible, so I hope you understand my question. Thanks for the insight.

#1 would be a double dribble. #2 would be legal.

# 2 would be legal so long as the pivot foot was not pulled before the ball was thrown . . .

. . . but good luck explaining this one in a pickup game at the gym . . .