This was similar to my initial thought... the mandate to not call it is a good part of the reason you're seeing it. Where it gets called, it doesn't happen often.

Saw a player step out of bounds to avoid a 3-second call once.

I will say it was called in a playoff game that I worked and the same official called it twice. I went back to see if these situations were there on the tape and I could not tell even if or who went out of bounds. And all it did was raise more questions than solve an issue. I have no problem with anyone calling it if it is obvious. If someone just barely steps on the line, I would give that a pass just as I would with someone calling 3 seconds with a player whose heal is slightly on the line. Because I know I am hardly looking that closely at this violations as opposed to some contact or the reasons for the contact. Otherwise I do not see many obvious violations of this rule.

Peace

Pepperidge Farm Remembers ...
 

I don't have a citation, but I was taught that that was never a legal tactic for player to avoid a three second violation, and, if three seconds had passed, to just call the three second violation rather than the intentionally going out of bounds violation.

Anybody remember something similar? Anybody got an old citation? Anybody know where my car keys are?

Confused In Connecticut ...
 

This is from my Misunderstood Basketball Rules list:

"It’s a violation for a player to step out of bounds in an attempt to avoid a three second violation."

Is it a three second violation (assuming three seconds have passed), or is it an intentionally going out of bounds violation, (assuming that three seconds have not passed)?

It is, or was, in the case book. Did you try looking there?

Always Listen To bob ...
 

9.3.3 SITUATION A: A1 receives a pass while in the restricted area of the lane.
A1 passes the ball to A2 outside the three-point line. In order to get the three-second
count stopped, A1 steps directly out of bounds under A's basket. RULING:
A1 is charged with a violation for leaving the court for an unauthorized reason.(9-7)

Was it always a leaving the court for an unauthorized reason violation, or was it ever a three second violation?

Seems to me that if someone just barely steps on the line, they've not violated anything anyway. They did not "leave the court for unauthorized reasons".

I have called it once...as L in the wide angle position, kid ran behind me going from corner to corner. Pretty much had to call that one.

I see it two or three times a season and I call it two or three times a season.
I believe in calling the game according to the rules.

James Naismith Is Rolling Over In His Grave, And It's A Traveling Violation ...
 

What a novel idea. Do you think it will catch on?

Ditto. I called it twice this season.

I'm just curious, did you call it that often when it was penalized by a technical foul?

On more than one occassion in several games this past season, I've verbally told players to stay on the court as they ran the baseline (avoiding screens).

I do agree. I just think that is not technically how it is interpreted. But then again I could be wrong.

Peace