player passes ref the ball (out of bounds)
 

after a made basket. A1 takes ball and goes out of bounds like normal inbounds but he gets confused and passes it to the ref, like they were thinking about a dead ball play when the ref is supposed to hold it first.

I've had this a few times. Would you catch the ball and give it back? Move out the way?
Do you start your count as soon as the player has the ball out of bounds. So start count, then he throws it to you, do you keep counting 5 seconds?

What would you do/have you done in this situation?

If it happens once or twice, just throw it back and start your count. Remind him when you do it that you don't need the ball if there wasn't a whistle.

If it continues, then they may need to learn the hard way.

I am going to catch the pass and then turn around as pass it to team B for an easy score. As I run down the court I am going to inform the scorekeeper to make sure I get credit for an assist.

Assuming the team that just scored is not the one tossing me the ball, when they throw it toward me, I usually just tap it back to him/her and start or continue my five count. Especially at lower level/young kids games. If the team that just scored does it, it typically draws a delay warning from me.

Catch it, and toss it back.

Catch it, throw it back, start count.

but are you delaying the count? So let's say you count, 1, then the player passes it to you and you pass it back. Are you counting that second or two?

I've just passed it back. I had a coach say, "just let it go by you". I don't think I've ever had it twice in a game.

I'm guessing that was the coach of the team that scored. The fact that it never happens twice in a game tells you it's not really a problem.

Start your count over, IMO, unless you know they're trying to delay the game with this tactic. End of game, other team scores with 9 seconds left and the new offense wants to eat as much clock as possible, for example.

I'm going to continue my count.

If I judged it to be an innocent mistake would catch it, bounce pass it back, and then start the count.

If I thought it was a ploy to get extra time I would continue the count and either let it go by me or let it hit me, probably in my hands and drop.

What I do depends on the age of the players and the skill level.

Boys'/girls' high school freshmen and above: I am going to side-step the pass; continue my throw-in count; and when the ball touches out-of-bounds past the Sideline extended I am going to whistle Team A for a Throw-in Violation.


Boy's/girls' Jr. H.S. and younger: Whether I catch the ball and restart Team A's Throw-in, or side-step the pass; continue my throw-in count; and when the ball touches out-of-bounds past the Sideline extended I am going to whistle Team A for a Throw-in Violation, depends upon the skill level of the teams and the players.

MTD, Sr.

That's What It's All About ...
 

Hey Mark T. DeNucci, Sr., are you officiating a basketball game, or doing the hokey pokey?

Got a rule citation to back your violation call?

NFHS: R7-S6-A2; R9-S2-A2 and A4.

MTD, Sr.

Ask my boys, I do a mean Electric Slide. After all, I was only 25 in 1976.

MTD, Sr.

The throwin didn't go directly inbounds?????

This is an endline throw-in and not the actual throw-in pass.

That would be fine if the ball were still along the endline. Once beyond the corner, it is no longer along the endline as required.

If there is no teammate outside the endline, is it not then, by default, an errant throw-in pass?

With some humor spliced in, I think we're waaaaaayyyy overthinking this. This happens all the time. Just smile and either pass or deflect it back to the thrower who is OOB. If the thrower gives me that look that says, "uh, should I give this to you?" then I just start walking slowly forward and give a little underhanded 'go ahead' motion, which almost always works.

I even see this happen in college games on TV from time to time. After a basket the thrower is sometimes thinking about the next play downcourt and almost instinctively passes the ball to the trail official. And guess what? The trail just passes it back.

Or I'll just tap it back. When it happens it always happens immediately upon disposal.

The vast majority of the time, this occurs in a bad JV game where the players don't even know how to line up for a free throw. I just tap it back to them and go on.

If its near me I'll tap it back towards them with a hand or foot. If its not within reach, I will usually wait to start my count until they retrieve it but start immediately. For competitive upper level games I may chose not to do this if I feel they should know better but this usually only happens with JV and below or with schools who barely field a team so they don't really have experienced players (and are usually getting blown out).