[Truehoop] Traveling in the NBA

I like this. It's irritating how the refs seem to be at the game to make certain players look better, rather than enforcing the rules of the game. It's nonsense.

 

So what is the purpose of the rule book if you don't adhere by it?

Without rules it is chaos which is what the NBA is experiencing right now.

 

Everything Tim Donaghy said was the truth.

 

The NBA ... No (Rule) Books Allowed.

 

Thanks for the post Hayesfan. I've always wanted some more clarification on traveling. As for the Radman, KG dunks, they always let players travel on breakaway dunks. I remember Francis doing it too from time to time.

 

what? steve francis travel on breakaway dunks?

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Here is the actual rule on nba.com. The NBA has allowed the game to change to more of a And1 format to attract younger viewers. It's all about marketing.

http://www.nba.com/analysis/rules_10.html?nav=ArticleList

Section XIV-Traveling
a. A player who receives the ball while standing still may pivot, using either foot as the pivot foot.
b. A player who receives the ball while he is progressing or upon completion of a dribble, may use a two-count rhythm in coming to a stop, passing or shooting the ball.
The first count occurs:
(1) As he receives the ball, if either foot is touching the floor at the time he receives it.
(2) As the foot touches the floor, or as both feet touch the floor simultane- ously after he receives the ball, if both feet are off the floor when he receives it.
The second occurs:
(1) After the count of one when either foot touches the floor, or both feet touch the floor simultaneously.
c. A player who comes to a stop on the count of one may pivot, using either foot as the pivot foot.
d. A player who comes to a stop on the count of two, with one foot in advance of the other, may pivot using only the rear foot as the pivot foot.
e. A player who comes to a stop on the count of two, with neither foot in advance of the other, may use either foot as the pivot foot.
f. In starting a dribble after (1) receiving the ball while standing still, or (2) coming to a legal stop, the ball must be out of the player's hand before the pivot foot is raised off the floor.
g. If a player, with the ball in his possession, raises his pivot foot off the floor, he must pass or shoot before his pivot foot returns to the floor. If he drops the ball while in the air, he may not be the first to touch the ball.
h. A player who falls to the floor while holding the ball, or while coming to a stop, may not gain an advantage by sliding.
i. A player who attempts a field goal may not be the first to touch the ball if it fails to touch the backboard, basket ring or another player.
PENALTY: Loss of ball. The ball is awarded to the opposing team at the sideline, nearest spot of the violation but no nearer the baseline than the foul line extended.

 

people say this everytime the nba does anything, no matter how innocuous or trivial, and i realize they said they weren't following the rulebook, but is this even close to unique to the nba? i mean, is there any level of basketball in the world - peewee, ymca youth, middle school, high school, college, wnba, international, playground, intramural, CBA, ABL, ABA - where people don't get 2 steps after gathering the ball? i've never played in a game where you didn't get 2 steps. i've never seen a game on tv where they didn't get 2 steps. i've never seen a highlight from the past where they don't get 2 steps (the Doctor didn't rock the baby to sleep on only one step). walt frazier acting like they invented 2 steps to help these poor crappy players of today or anyone else acting like the nba just invented 2 steps after gathering a couple of years ago is pretty much full of it. the rulebook was interpreted how they wanted many, many years ago and that's how basketball has been played forever. it's like 100 year old laws that say you can't wear a hat on sundays or something - irrelevant.

 

Thanks for posting this.

As for the head of the league refs saying that every level of basketball allows a two count, fine. But even then, that is no excuse for all of the blatant violations of d, f, and h that are allowed on a nightly basis.

 

Traveling is lame, and it shouldn't be emphasized. That would be like calling offensive holding on every football play, because you could. Only the obvious violations should be called.

 

since when were players allowed to take only one step? i was always under the impression that you were allowed a one-two step.

 

The difference being that if you actually started calling traveling regularly, it would probably quickly come to a stop. In football, it is often near impossible to block without holding, whereas you can play basketball without traveling.

 

Did you read the articles provided by the links? The rule has apparently always been one step, they've just never called it that way.

 

A player driving hard to the rim with the extra have step, dont mind that so much. Its when players take extra steps right after they receive a pass on the perimeter that bugs me. Those subtle extra steps when a player gets the ball on the perimeter about to face up. They let players take like 4 steps to turn around just to look at the defense.

Thats where the real laxness of not calling things come through. The player is 4 feet from the nearest guy in full view visible to all and they dont call it. It doesnt matter if there's no sense of urgency and the player's just trying to run out the clock, by rule its traveling.

They need to rewrite it for that, too. Cuz its hard to stop on a dime after running full speed then catching.

 

isn't this first part really stupid and unclear, if you land on two feet while receiving the ball you can pivot off either foot, however if land in a stride stop (ie one foot after the other) then you can't pivot off either foot