[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by rekent

I was asked by a friend just starting to learn the rules (NFHS) to ref about traveling on a layup. The question was where in the rulebook does it say the player gets to "travel for two steps" as they go up for a layup, because they could not find it. My response was it is not in the rulebook and that traveling is always traveling and as such is always a violation, there is no "legal" traveling. What appears to be the two steps is actually just a legal manipulation of the actions permitted in rule 4-44, specifically the pivot foot behavior in 4-44-3.

The 3 examples I gave are:

1) If A1 picks up his dribble with his front foot on the ground and back foot lifted, the front foot is the pivot foot. The back foot may be brought forward to become the new forward foot. The pivot foot may then be raised and may not contact the ground again without resulting in traveling. This creates the visual illusion of sorts, of two steps. At this point, A1 launches off his original non-pivot foot for the layup and all is legal.

2) If A1 picks up his dribble with both feet on the ground and the back foot is the first lifted, everything else is the same as sit. 1. If the front foot is the first lifted, everything is the same as sit. 3.

3) If A1 picks up his dribble with his back foot on the ground and front foot lifted, the back foot is the pivot foot. The front foot may come down, and the back be lifted (illusion of 1 step), but as soon as the original pivot foot comes down as the new forward foot for the second "step," it becomes a traveling violation.

Another official who was there agreed with my friend and said he was taught the player could "travel for two steps." And so, I turn to the experts to see if I learned this incorrectly. (Sorry for the wordy explanation, perhaps writing questions while writing contracts is not the brightest idea.)

You forgot a scenario.

4) A1 picks up the dribble with neither foot on the ground. He is now allowed to take one step with both feet.