"I Can't Touch It!"

[bainsey]

Boys 5-6 tourney this weekend, NFHS rule set.

A-1 attempts a strange pass that gets away from him, and goes toward the sideline. A-2, the intended recipient, just sort of stands there, looking at A-1, who's closer to the ball, and gives A-1 a look that says, "you're closer. You get it."

A-1 is the last one to touch it, and has used his dribble. He yells back, "I can't touch it!" The ball goes out of bounds for the turnover.

There's a pang of doubt in my mind somewhere that, under NFHS rules, A-1 could have touched it, if had chosen so. I can't cite the rule, though. Thoughts?