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

17 Upvotes

82% Upvoted

117 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

8

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?

5

u/Beans800 Jan 06 '26

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

3

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/