When you watch baseball games, if someone hits a home run you’ll notice that when people catch the ball, they get to keep it. So if you’re going to a basketball, or just curious in general, you may be wondering if you could keep a basketball that goes into the stands during a basketball game.

The answer to this question is no. This is because the players go through a process of choosing the ball during the pregame warmups, so once a ball is chosen, it is considered to be the ball to use for the duration of the game. So if it happens that you’re at a basketball game, and the ball happens to bounce your way, you may want to consider passing it to your favorite player since you can’t keep it.

For the rest of this article, we will dive into more detail about the game ball.

How Do They Decide On The Game Ball?

Although an overlooked part of the game, choosing the game ball is very important. Many players need to be able to feel the ball in their hands, and they need to be confident that it will bounce the right way.

The way the game ball is chosen within an NBA game is by the home teams equipment manager. Before the game, they pick out a 3 different basketballs. Then, two different players from each team pick out the ball of their liking.

If they both agree on the same ball, they will go with that ball. However, if there’s a difference in opinion, the refs will go with the third ball the equipment manager chose.

In the high school and college level, the ref will often choose the ball. However, sometimes the players will also have a say in choosing the game ball.

What Happens If You Refuse To Give Back The Ball If It Came Bouncing Your Way?

If the ball comes bouncing your way and you refuse to give it back, they won’t bargain with you and choose another ball. In most cases, if it goes on long enough, you will be escorted out of the game by security. Due to the expensive cost of basketball tickets, there’s no reason to keep a ball that you will only get a few minutes of enjoyment out of.

What Happens If the Ball Is Thrown Really High Into The Stands?

If the ball is thrown really far into the stands, which may happen on a full court pass, or a really bad pass, you may be wondering if you could keep it in those circumstances.

The answer to this question is still no. As it will only take a couple seconds to get the ball down to the court for the two teams to continue with the game.

What Happens To The Game Ball After The Game?

NBA players use new shoes every game (in most cases). That may have you wondering if they use new basketballs for every game. The answer to this question is no, they don’t.

Believe it or not, teams get a certain amount of balls at the beginning of every season, and the players will use these balls throughout the entire season.

The only time that one ball could be taken is if a player has a great game. Check out this video from the Los Angeles Lakers locker room after Austin Reaves hit a buzzer beater. They gave him the game ball, because it was his first career buzzer beater.

In Conclusion

Now you know that if you’re at a basketball game and the ball comes bouncing your way, you can’t keep it. While it may be tempting to hold onto a prized possession like this, you need to remember that there are regulations in place for a reason. So if the ball does happen to come your way, be sure to pass it back so that everyone can enjoy the game!

If you want to see more posts like this, click on the tags below to see related posts: