[refTN]

Originally posted by Camron Rust
The NBA most certainly does NOT have the same traveling rules. There are several scenarios that are explicity legal in the NBA that are travels in NCAA or NFHS rules.

See http://www.nba.com/analysis/rules_10...av=ArticleList

In particular:

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.
....
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.

This is largely the same as HS/NCAA....except for (d), (e), and (h).

In HS/NCAA the 2nd foot to land after catching the ball can never be the pivot foot. It doesn't matter where those feet land relative to each other. In the NBA it depends on the location of the feet landing...not the order of them landing.

Example: A1 jumps to catch a pass while running around a screen at the top of the key. A1 first lands on his left foot followed by his right root such that both feet are 1" behind the 3-point line. Under NCAA and NFHS rules, A1 may only pivot on the left foot. If the left foot is lifed and returned to the floor, it is a travel. In the NBA, A1 gets to choose the pivot foot.

In (h), it is a travel in the NCAA and college to fall to the floor while holding the ball, advantage or not, sliding or not. NBA allows the player to fall, in some cases, without violation.

Apparently NBA.com hasn't changed its rulebook in a while, because nowhere in the 04-05 rulebook do I see d and e. In this respect it is called just like HS, there has to be no determination of what foot is in advance of what foot. Like I said in an earlier post, the rules by the NBA just have very well wrote, explained, and thorough guidelines and the NFHS rulebook does not. I believe if the NFHS rulebook was wrote with this two count philosophy it would be easier for refs to discern what is and is not a travel.