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July 6, 2008

The Travel Rule


One of the most abused rules in high school or college basketball is the travel rule. Most of the time, the act of "running with the ball" happens so quickly that the official either doesn't see the movement or sees it but hesitates to call it because he's not sure.

The first step in understanding 'TRAVEL:' is to study carefully the wording of the rule itself. When this has been accomplished, it will become quite obvious that the rule can be reduced to a series of assumptions followed by a number of restrictions.

Assumptions*

  1. A player CANNOT travel unless the player is HOLDING a live ball. This immediately rules out traveling during a dribble or fumble.
  2. The act of traveling involves "moving a foot or the feet in excess of prescribed limits". A more appropriate paraphrase would be to say "Moving the PIVOT in excess of the prescribed limits".


Therefore to judge "TRAVELING", three questions must be addressed:

  1. Which foot is the pivot foot?
  2. How much legal movement may the player initiate?
  3. What movement would be considered "in excess" of the prescribed limits?

Which Foot is the Pivot Foot?
Which foot is the PIVOT foot is totally a matter of where the player was (relative to a position on the floor) when that player gained control of the ball or ended a dribble.

  1. If a player receives the ball or ends a dribble WITH BOTH FEET ON THE FLOOR, EITHER FOOT MAY BECOME THE PIVOT. Once one foot is lifted, the other foot is the pivot foot If a player gains control or ends a dribble while moving, the player may stop and, in doing so, establish a pivot.
  2. If BOTH FEET were OFF the floor, and if that player lands on BOTH FEET SIMULTANEOUSLY, EITHER F00T MAY BECOME THE PIVOT. Once one foot is is moved, the other is the pivot.
  3. If BOTH FEET were OFF the floor and if that player LANDS ON ONE FOOT FOLLOWED BY THE OTHER, THE FIRST FOOT TO TOUCH THE FLOOR WOULD BECOME THE PIVOT FOOT. (The Rule Book recognizes that momentum may prevent a player from coming to an abrupt stop. For this reason, provision is made for someone who, having landed on one foot, leaves the floor and lands again on both feet simultaneously. In this instance, the player may not pivot. Movement of either foot beyond the limits, outlined later in this article, would constitute traveling).
  4. If ONE FOOT IS ON THE FLOOR when that player gains control or ends a dribble, two legal means of coming to a stop are possible. He may either bring his other foot to the floor, and thereby stop, OR momentum may cause him to jump off the foot that is already on the floor and land on both feet simultaneously. In either case, the foot which was on the floor is the pivot foot. In the latter instance, no pivot is allowed.


Legal Pivoting
Now lets consider those elusive "PRESCRIBED LIMITS" of movement.
These limits may be summarized in four statements:

  1. Once a pivot foot has been established, a player may lift the foot TO SHOOT OR
    PASS, but the ball must leave the player's hand before the pivot
    returns to the floor.
  2. Once the pivot foot has been established, a player MAY BEGIN A DRIBBLE provided the ball leaves his hand before the pivot foot is lifted.
  3. WHERE THERE IS NO PIVOT ALLOWED, the player may lift a foot or feet TO SHOOT OR PASS provided the ball leaves the hand before one or both feet return to the floor.
  4. WHERE NO PIVOT FOOT IS ALLOWED, the player may legally BEGIN A DRIBBLE provided the ball leaves the hand before either foot is lifted.

Points of Final Emphasis
Remember that

  1. It is impossible for a player,to travel DURING A DRIBBLE.
  2. A player who falls to the floor WHILE HOLDING THE BALL has traveled. If a player falls to the floor while dribbling and is able to continue dribbling legally, no violation has occurred.
  3. A player who GAINS control while lying on the floor and then rolls or slides, IS LEGAL PROVIDED AN ADVANTAGE IS NOT GAINED. Otherwise, it is traveling.
  4. At no time may a player, who has gained control as described in the previous situation, be allowed to get to his or her feet while holding the ball. A player who has gained control while on the floor may shoot, pass or start a dribble prior to getting to his feet.