Throw In - Ball at disposal of a player

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by Rich1

By rule, after a made basket the throw in begins when two things happen - the ball is available to the player and the ref starts the count. There is no mention in the rules about allowing the player to step out of bounds first. This is different than other throw ins because we handle the ball.

That is not the rule. All that rule is saying is that when the official, due to delay by the team, decides to start the throwin count, the throwin has effectively begun.

The question you have to ask about this rules is "Available for what"? What if the ball bounces funny as it comes out of the next and goes to midcourt and is picked up by a player (or into the 12th row)? Is it available then? Of course not. If not at 40' from the endline, what about 30'? 20'? How close is close enough? The only line you have is the endline.

See this rule:

Rule 4-42 Art. 2...A throw-in is a method of putting the ball in play from out of bounds.

So, by definition, it must be OOB for a throwin to occur.

The phrase about the official begging the count as being the start of the throwin is ONLY for situations where the player is delaying and could have been OOB. It i is not telling us to start the count as soon as a player catches it.