Agree.

So...the ball had left the dribbler's hand? If that's the case the violation took place before the ball was touched by the defender.

No, the ball had not left. She had begun the downward thrust, but the ball was still in contact with the hand.

It was still in contact with the hand while the touch by the defender occurred, then released, then you had a whistle?

So, in your judgment, the touch had no effect on the release, correct?

In that case, I think you may have jumped the gun a bit.

I don't think it is a dribble until it is released (if not even later). Why? The pivot foot restrictions as they relate to the dribble are relative to the release of the ball to "start" a dribble.

What if she had, somehow, caught the ball before it was clear from the hand (perhaps scooping it back to her self to catch it)? Ignoring the carry rule, would you have called that an illegal dribble? Doesn't that more resemble an awkward looking but fully legal way to end the dribble.

A player can even toss the ball into the air and catch it and as long as they don't move, that isn't a dribble (illegal or legal) and it isn't a travel.

Okay, that's why I asked the question.

To follow CR's point, there wasn't anything until the ball came out of her hand again. At best it could have been a travel since - I'm assuming - her feet were still moving in whatever direction she was going and she might have taken a couple of steps after the ball came to rest in her hand. With the ball still in contact with her hand it couldn't have been an illegal dribble.

It happened more quickly than that, and I'll add that B1's touch didn't affect the ball in any material way. My whistle may have been early, but I don't think it was incorrect. Unless you think B1's touch gives A1 another dribble.

Imagine if A1 had actually picked up her dribble and as she started a new, illegal, dribble, B1 clips the ball while it is still touching her hand but on its downward thrust. No affect on the ball's movement.

Ah Ha, The Plot Thickens ...
 

How does an official know that the action described above is not the start of a legal bounce pass to a teammate?

How does an official know anything? You see the play and you make a judgment. Most of the time, a pass and the start of a dribble look nothing alike.

Start Me Up ...
 

(My parenthesis above)

Aren't the start of both exactly the same, by definition? They certainly have a different ending, but I'm only talking about the start of both.

What A Jerk ...
 

Hey BillyMac. This is, by far, the stupidest post, ever, in the history of Al Gore's internet. One important difference is that a player can legally lift the pivot foot at the start of a bounce pass, but cannot legally lift the pivot foot to start a dribble.

+1

Actually, it did come back to her hand, directly. 1. B1's contact did not alter the ball, and it happened while the ball was in A1's hand. This sort of contact would not grant a player a new dribble, so why should it absolve her of the carry?

My whistle was, perhaps, early, but I don't think it was incorrect.

I agree.

+2
If the player catches dribble by putting hand under ball (i.e. carries) and then pushes ball out of hand to floor there is no violation unless player touches ball after release. Who is to say player wasn't going to pass ball??
So I have no call.