Quote:
Originally Posted by BktBallRef
There's your problem. 
It doesn't matter how you see it. The rule states traveling occurs when the player attempts to get up. When he lifts one knee, he has attempted to get up, whether he stands or not.
Don't believe me? Kneel on both knees. Now, get up without lifting a knee.  |
(I greatly appreciate the
Smile as it indicates that this is just an exercise in off-season friendly rhetoric.)
Noting that all discussion of the Case Book plays is in regards to Rule 4-44-5:
The Case Book play 4.44.5 SIT D: starts with the player securing possession of the ball while kneeling on
one knee. The language of the Case Book play accepts the action of lifting that
one knee to be an attempt to stand, that is, on both feet.
This is consistent with the generally accepted definition of kneeling, as having either or both knees touching the floor; and with the definition of standing, as having both feet touching the floor, or one foot touching the floor and the other suspended in the air or touching an object above the floor. (See Rule 4-44-2 a 1.)
The Case Book play does not address actions prior to the player coming to the position of kneeling on
one knee. It does not address how the player arrived at the position of kneeling on
one knee. In fact, the Case Book play cannot address any such actions, because the Ruling involves the player having possession of the ball.
If the player starts in a position of kneeling on both knees, and then secures possession of the ball, upon lifting one knee, the player is still defined as kneeling, and has only arrived at the starting position noted in the Case Book play. And as stated in the Case Book play, an "attempt to stand" has not yet started, and a violation is still not applied to an action prior to the attempt to stand.
Case Book plays 4.44.5 SIT A and 4.44.5 SIT C address actions prior to the actions noted in Case Book play 4.44.5 D. Those actions include A) falling to the floor while holding the ball, and C) dropping to the floor with one "a" 'knee while dribbling.
In Case Book play 4.44.5 SIT B the phrase "Any attempt to get to the feet is traveling unless A1 is dribbling." Upon noting that the word "feet" is plural, and that a person kneeling on one knee is considered to be kneeling and not standing, one may logically consider movement from a position of kneeling on two knees to kneeling on one knee is not an "attempt to get to the feet" (plural).
Indeed, the writer(s) of Case Book play 4.44.5 SIT D chose to address neither the issue of a player securing possession of the ball while kneeling on both knees, nor the action of that player changing from both knees touching the floor, to one knee touching the floor. The issue addressed is narrow, and the lifting of the
one knee of the player, while holding the ball, must be defined as an "attempt to stand," because only one knee is touching the floor.
As noted in a previoss post - not mine - NCAA does not consider the player going from a position of both knees touching the floor, to a position of one knee touching the floor to be a travelling violation. The NFHS wording of the Case Book plays leaves that issue unaddressed.
Some NFHS officials choose to apply the Case Book plays to that issue. I do not choose to do so.