Orlando i'd suggest your read your rule book

The hand is part of the ball when the hand is on the ball, except when in the act of shooting. When in the act of the shooting the hand can be fouled.

Orlando

I'd be very surpised that the answer you got from sween isn't an interpetation from someone who knows - sounds like someone with a lot of rule knowledge and alot of credibility

Quoting from that link:

'The hand is considered "part of the ball" when it is in contact with the ball. Therefore, contact on that hand by a defender while it is in contact with the ball is not illegal.'

It's still part of the ball when in the act of shooting. It's always and forever part of the ball. Only in a case where a defender removes the hand from the ball in an unsportsmanlike manner, eg, grabbing the hand, would you call a foul.

yelled at shooter about this one when i hit his hand while he was shooting. Cant wait to state these fax when i see him on the court again. THE HAND IS PART OF THE BALL!

Show me where it says hand is only part of the ball if they are not shooting?????

Hand is part of the ball regardless.

Why we're on myths, I've heard this one sprouted a lot.....'it wasn't 3 seconds because there was no advantage to the player'. Show me anywhere in the rule book where it allows a referee to make a judgement call.

^^ To add to that the ONLY time it is deemed a foul when contact is made to the hand is when the contact is deemed an "un-sportsman like" act i.e punched, grabbed etc and NOT a genuine play for the ball.

So, in the context of shooting it's either a no call or an USF. It can not be a normal shooting foul.

Depending on which association you referee or play for variants will occur. There is not just one rulebook there are 3 maybe 4 depends on association. FiBA rulebook (umpires), Official interpretations (refs) and then interpretations of interpretations (Refs). They are different colours and are rolled out to umpires at different levels.
Social refs would run "their" interpretations based on mood and care factor.
Please don't expect consistency on a court with umpires let alone referees because interpretations are handed down through training so if your stadium has woeful refs coming through look at the referee running the courses.

It shouldn't matter where you Ref, the rules of Basketball are the same and Australia is guided by FIBA rules/interpretations.

^ It shouldn't but it does, you ever seen a ump sleep walk in a social game? I have.
The 3 second advantage interpretation not in the FIBA standard rule book but would be covered under one of the interpretations rule books.
3 Second rule is one that I've given up on, the ref will usually only count once possession is taken in the key, rarely any other time and when you ask how long etc they won't look at it.

Again take a look at the people running the coaching courses at your stadium and hope to god they aren't the refs your complaining about.

I often try and approach refs away from the game and as for their interpretation of a particular rule, some are quite good others well...

If you are very tall and have hands so big (as some players do) that totally covers the ball, you could casually wrap both hands around the ball and stand under the offensive rim and casually put you srms right in front of your defensive player knowing he's totally unable to even stop let alone block you. Of course the hand is part of the ball when you shoot. The game is a non contact sport but the one thing you can hit is the ball but in socisl badketball they don’t call it that way. They forget the wrist is where you wear you wrist watch, any umpire that hears a hand slap wrongly calls a foul, when you question it they say you hit the wrist or they say the hand is not part of the bsll. Thats why some players wrap both their hands around the bsll when they put up a shot under the ring as they know the ref will call a foul

You never penalise a player for going for the ball, that's the only thing he’s allowed to hit. If a big hand is wrapped around a ball what’s the defensive player supposed to do? Just watch? It’s not netball. So if a player isn’t seven foot and and can’t block the last 2 inches left at the top of the ball during a shot it’s a foul?!!! They clarified the hand being part of the ball decades ago as player hand sizes became enormous

Even when refs play the hand as part of the ball during the shot they only don't call a foul if you hit the fingers of the shooter. If you hit the hand under the fingers whilst it’s still on the ball they seem to think thats the wrist! The back of the hand goes a long way before you get to the wrist!

It is when you're jerking off.