Travel call for hand off?

[so cal lurker]

Originally Posted by Jim Henry

In middle school game I had this happen and coach questioned the play.
Team A in possession in front court. A1 standing with ball. A2 runs by and takes ball from A1 and scores. Opposing coach says that both players were in possession of ball at same time and since A2 was moving it is a travel. She says no different then if A1 and A2 simultaneously get rebound and hold ball and feet move. My answer was it was a hand off and OK. But actually A1 never released. She just stood there with ball in hands and teammate took it. NOTE: It was a set play. Please advise.

I think the key here is that it is a middle school game and the coach is relying on myths rather than rules . . .

But it's not automatically a travel with dual possession of a rebound and "feet move" -- it is a travel if either of the players, each of whom has the ball, in fact travels (which often happens if they try to pull the ball away from one another.

I would say the hand-off is entirely irrelevant and the R has to ask two questions (1) did the player who started with the ball travel before ceding possession of the ball (which is exactly the same question if the player made a pass), and (2) did the player who received the ball travel with the ball after receiving possession (Which is exactly the same question if the player caught a pass).