can a player be the last to touch a ball both inbound and out?

Question
If a player is the last to touch the ball while he is in bounds, then goes out of bounds, comes back in bounds and is the next player to touch the ball, is this legal? If so under what conditions?


Answer
HI Vince,

The answer to your question is no, that is not a "legal" play. That is basically passing to yourself. There are no conditions in which a player can legally do that, unless in the interpretation of the official, the player with the ball, "loses the handle" on the ball and fumbles it, falls out of bounds, returns in bounds to pick up the lose ball. However they may not throw the ball in bounds while falling out of bounds, then come back in and retrieve it. I hope that helps.