Defender slaps ball out of inbounder's hands

[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

It isn't really where the ball is that matters. It is where the defenders hands are.

If the defenders hands remain on the inbounds side of the plane, you have a legal play.

If the defenders hands cross through the plane, you have an illegal play. The penalty depends on what they touch while reaching through the plane. If the touch nothing, delay of game. If they touch the ball, technical foul. If they touch the thrower, intentional personal foul.

(Note that not reaching through the plane but touching the thrower has reached through...presumably with the ball....has also recently been declared an intentional personal foul. It doesn't make any sense, but that hasn't stopped the recent rules committees from making changes).

Sure it does. Before the change, the penalty for hitting the ball was more severe than the penalty for hitting the player.