Basketball rules require a player to put the ball in play from out of bounds after a stoppage in play. In many cases, inbounding the ball can be quite simple, such as after a made basket in the middle of the game. The player retrieving the ball will step over the endline and casually flip the ball to a teammate without incident. However, the defense might turn up the pressure and attempt to harass the inbounder. That player must get the ball in play or risk losing possession.
Passing the Ball
Once the player has gained possession of the ball, he has five seconds to pass it. The player might survey the court, make one or more ball fakes and look one direction while passing in the other. If the ball has not left the inbounder's hands within five seconds, the referee will blow his whistle and award possession of the ball to the opponent.
Ready for Play
The ref starts counting when the ball has been ruled ready for play, which is when he hands the ball to the inbounder. In some cases, the count will be audible, but in most cases the referee will indicate by waving his arm once per second. Once he has waved his arm five times and counted off five seconds, he will blow his whistle and give the opponent the ball.
Calling Time Out
The inbounder may call time out at any point during the five seconds that he has possession of the ball. The referee might be swinging his arm for the fifth time, but if he has not blown his whistle to indicate a violation, the player with the ball may call a timeout. Once the timeout has been granted, the team will meet with its coach and a new inbounds play will be planned. After the timeout, the inbounds play starts again with another five seconds to get the ball in play. While the inbounding team cannot call a second consecutive timeout, the defense may call a timeout if it wants to discuss the situation and change its defensive plan.
Defensive Positioning
The defense may guard all the players on the court tightly on an inbounds play, but it must give the inbounds passer a minimum of three feet to get the pass off. If the referee believes the defender is too close, he will stop counting, advise the defender of the violation and restart the count. If the defense does not give the inbounds passer enough room, the referee will stop counting and move the defender to give the passer a clearer view of his teammates.
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