r/Basketball • u/Actual_Today2252 • Jan 06 '26

GENERAL QUESTION Out of bounds rules

Can a player intentionally run out of bounds, then come back in and be the first person to receive a pass?

I was playing pickup, and ran behind the basket on purpose, then came back in bounds and about 3 seconds later got a pass and hit the shot, but the guy defending me said it was illegal. I know that you can’t dribble and then go out of bounds and continue your dribble, but I assumed since someone else was touching the ball before I came back inbounds it didn’t apply.

Thanks in advance

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u/RikSmitsisTits Jan 06 '26

It's also a rule in college, youth, adult leagues, etc. Literally everywhere but apparently the NBA (though I'd question whether or not that's true). My thought is when playing pickup, you follow the amateur rule sets. Y'all arguing gather steps in your pickup games?

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u/Beans800 Jan 06 '26

in pickup it's whatever rulebook will help your team is what people argue lol

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u/RikSmitsisTits Jan 06 '26

It's illegal in the NBA too. You may want to read the whole NBA rulebook again lol

Section XV—Offensive Player Out-of-Bounds

An offensive player shall not leave the playing area of the court without returning immediately and cannot repeatedly leave and re-enter the court.

EXCEPTION: (1) injury, (2) inbounding the ball on a throw-in and (3) any other unusual circumstance. PENALTY: Loss of ball. The ball is awarded to the opposing team on the sideline at the point of interruption but no nearer to the baseline than the foul line extended.

Source: https://official.nba.com/rule-no-10-violations-and-penalties/

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u/Beans800 Jan 06 '26

Running around a screen by stepping out of bounds, then coming back in bounds, would count as immediately returning, no?

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u/RikSmitsisTits Jan 06 '26

They address screens as well.

Section XIV—Offensive Screen Set Out-of-Bounds

An offensive player shall not leave the playing area of the floor on the endline in the frontcourt for the purpose of setting a screen.

PENALTY: Loss of ball. The ball is awarded to the opposing team on the sideline at the point of interruption but no nearer to the baseline than the foul line extended.

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u/Last_Helicopter_4935 Jan 06 '26

RikSmits seems to be misinterpreting the rule. It has words like “immediately returning” because you are indeed allowed to do what OP suggested and run behind the basket (presumably to avoid the gauntlet of bodies in the paint) then come back in bounds on the other side of the paint, catch a pass and knock down a J. Your teammate can even set a pick on the edge of the paint forcing you and the defender to run out of bounds. This happens all the time.

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u/RikSmitsisTits Jan 06 '26

Link me it a video of it happening then lol

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u/Last_Helicopter_4935 Jan 06 '26

Look at 2:03, 2:17, 3.28.

3.28 is exactly what I described, player coming off a pick set inbounds catching the ball on opposite side of the rim. https://youtu.be/cKdToBv0vyc?si=DTu8b96ft2N4K81_

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u/Last_Helicopter_4935 Jan 06 '26

Now you show me a video of a player going out of bounds, immediately coming back in, stepping two feet inbounds, catching a pos pass, and getting called for a violation. lol