Airborne Shooter purposely drops ball

[Adam]

Originally Posted by just another ref

Hope that a teammate will retrieve does not, for me, define a pass.

You said it yourself. He dropped the ball. This is a travelling violation.

I don't care how you twist your way into it, dropping does not equal throwing, pushing, or batting.

I have never seen a player drop the ball and not obviously expect his teammate to come get it. The fact is, there is no way to know what he's trying to do when he drops it. So, I'm going to assume it's a pass until something happens to tell me otherwise (such as him being the first to touch it after he releases the ball).

[MD Longhorn]

Allowing gravity to force the ball down is the opposite of forcing it down one's self. This is NOT a dribble. Period.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

Allowing gravity to force the ball down is the opposite of forcing it down one's self. This is NOT a dribble. Period.

So, let me get this straight.

I can hold the ball, drop it. Catch it after the bounce. Drop it again. Catch it again. Drop it again. Catch it again. And, since dropping it is not a dribble, it is not a dribble. Wow....this could be a very useful tactic!!!

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

I can hold the ball, drop it. Catch it after the bounce. Drop it again. Catch it again. Drop it again. Catch it again. And, since dropping it is not a dribble, it is not a dribble.

Good point, great extreme example, I love pushing the limits of various rules, but I will still wait to see what happens next, and will only call the violation if he is the first to touch.

Now? Is a drop the same as a fumble? Can we read minds, and determine intent?

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

So, let me get this straight.

I can hold the ball, drop it. Catch it after the bounce. Drop it again. Catch it again. Drop it again. Catch it again. And, since dropping it is not a dribble, it is not a dribble. Wow....this could be a very useful tactic!!!

You argue like this is political debate... read words, interpret them the way you want, then argue with that interpretation even if you know your interpretation is not what the other person meant.

That sort of argument is a waste of everyone's time and effort. This is not politics, this is not a debate. It's an officiating discussion board, where we're all trying to get better.
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I did not say dropping the ball and catching it is not a dribble. I said "this" - the situation we're talking about (well, the situation we WERE talking about until you decided to insert a completely different scenario in its place and apply my statement to it). In the situation we're talking about, dropping the ball and not picking it up is not a dribble. You tried to imply that it was because Gravity is a Force, and you saw the word force in the rule. (Frankly ... another example of what you did to my post)

If you're simply here to out-debate us or win an argument, I'm not interested. If you're interested in discussing what rules apply here, please do so.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

You argue like this is political debate... read words, interpret them the way you want, then argue with that interpretation even if you know your interpretation is not what the other person meant.

That sort of argument is a waste of everyone's time and effort. This is not politics, this is not a debate. It's an officiating discussion board, where we're all trying to get better.
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I did not say dropping the ball and catching it is not a dribble. I said "this" - the situation we're talking about (well, the situation we WERE talking about until you decided to insert a completely different scenario in its place and apply my statement to it). In the situation we're talking about, dropping the ball and not picking it up is not a dribble. You tried to imply that it was because Gravity is a Force, and you saw the word force in the rule. (Frankly ... another example of what you did to my post)

If you're simply here to out-debate us or win an argument, I'm not interested. If you're interested in discussing what rules apply here, please do so.

Then apply the rules as they are written, not as you invent new words to put in so it will fit what you want it to be. Quit looking for ways to weasel out of blowing the whistle.

A dribble starts when it leaves the hands. There is no part of the definition that suggests otherwise. A pass also starts when it leaves the hands. The difference is only in the judgement in whether it is going to the floor or to another player.

My example was merely offered to expose the fallacy in the points being made about the play in question.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

Then apply the rules as they are written, not as you invent new words to put in so it will fit what you want it to be. Quit looking for ways to weasel out of blowing the whistle.

A dribble starts when it leaves the hands. There is no part of the definition that suggests otherwise. A pass also starts when it leaves the hands. The difference is only in the judgement in whether it is going to the floor or to another player.

My example was merely offered to expose the fallacy in the points being made about the play in question.

That's not what it says. It says it starts when it's thrown or pushed to the floor. Dropping is neither throwing nor pushing. If we're going to start parsing definitions, I think we need to start there.

[bob jenkins]

4.43.3A and B are plays similar to the one being discussed here. In both, the play description includes A1 touching the ball.

That's not definitive of course (as it would be if the ruling said "violation once A1 touches the ball" or "violation immediately upon dropping the ball"). Still, absent any specifics, it's enough for me to judge that if I'm the calling official, I'm waiting until it's touched.

And, if you are watching the play out of your area, and come to me because you think I might have kicked a rules issue, I'm going to send you a nasty email citing the need not to interfere in another official's jurisdiction. Sorry. Wrong thread.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by Adam

That's not what it says. It says it starts when it's thrown or pushed to the floor. Dropping is neither throwing nor pushing. If we're going to start parsing definitions, I think we need to start there.

What exactly is pushing then? Exactly how much force is required for it to be a push.


When the ball leaves a players hands under their control, it is only one of three things...a try, a pass, or a dribble and it is such the moment it leaves their hands. The differences is entirely in intent and judging which is what we get paid for. Some will bring up the point about not judging intent but that doesn't really work because you have to judge intent when it comes to a try when determining if it is a shooting foul or whether they payer can retrieve an air ball. If you can determine that, it really isn't a stretch to expect an official to be able to tell if it is a dribble or a pass based on how it is released.

If it is remotely to another player, I'm OK with calling it a pass. But when it is clearly not to another player when it leaves the hands, and the player only put the ball on the floor with no teammate anywhere near to avoid getting it blocked, that defender that forced the action deserves violation call.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

The difference is only in the judgement in whether it is going to the floor or to another player.

A bounce pass does both.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

A bounce pass does both.

But in a different direction. I've never seen a bounce pass that goes straight down or even nearly straight down.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Adam

I don't care how you twist your way into it, dropping does not equal throwing, pushing, or batting.

I have never seen a player drop the ball and not obviously expect his teammate to come get it. The fact is, there is no way to know what he's trying to do when he drops it. So, I'm going to assume it's a pass until something happens to tell me otherwise (such as him being the first to touch it after he releases the ball).

In fact, the act is usually followed by A1 trying to "box out" defenders from getting the ball.