When is a tap a tap
 

There was discussion after seeing a play last night where a player received an in bounds pass with one hand at the top of the key with less than .3 seconds on the clock and made the basket. The officials counted the basket even though it looked exactly like a try. He caught it and flipped it in one motion with one hand.

Rule 4-41

ART. 5 says that

A tap for goal is the contacting of the ball with any part of a *player's hand(s) in an attempt to direct the ball into his/her basket.

It doesn't seem to restrict the player to any part of the hand, length from the basket, or how long the ball can be on the hand. Is the difference between a tap and a try that a tap can not last longer that .2 seconds? Does this mean a player could get off a shot from, let's say half court if its with one hand,
and still be called a tap?

A tap is a tap. Catch and shoot isn't a tap now is it?

From the "He caught it and flipped it in one motion with one hand." part of your description, - No Basket due to catch.

But that is the judgement part of the play and different officials may be more likely to consider it a tap if it only involves one hand....and in some cases would be right.

I know this may be a third-world play, but that's what you invite with the hard-and-fast 0:00.3 rule.

If a player was to "volleyball bump" the ball into the bucket, I'm guessing it's considered a tap if it contacts any part of the hands, but not if it's higher up on the forearms?

I would probably try to gauge the ball's contact with the hand to the same criteria I would use to call a carry.

Why? It is all about the length of the contact. Catch, no shot. No-catch, one touch, tap.

It's like pornography... I can't define it, but I know it when I see it.

Probably a bit circular, but I like to consider this in terms of whether I'd grant a timeout if requested. If there's even the slightest moment of control, or 'holding' the ball, it's a catch.

Still could be hard to tell in some cases, though.

The area on the arms / hands the ball contacts is not a consideration.

Even on a tap, the ball still must be released before the horn (assuming the clock starts properly, etc.).

http://www.volleyball-pictures.com/Pictures/447.JPG

So, if this is off her forearms before the horn, and goes in the bucket after the horn, it's a good bucket.

If you judge it to be a try, then yes.

(No one would really do this, so that's why 4-41-5 says "hands")

While I've never seen it--at that point--if it can count as a hoop, it's a better option than catch-and-shoot.

There is this (9-4):
"A player shall not travel with the ball ... strike it with the fist or cause it to enter or pass through the basket from below"

I'm not seeing anything about forearms.

If she doesn't catch it, it's a tap. The rule simply says it can't be caught, so that's all you need to judge.