Travel or not?
 

Question on which I would like the opinions of the folks here.

A2 and A3 jump for a defensive rebound. While both are airborne A2 catches the ball and A3 bumps into him. A2 is off balance and lands on his butt. A2's feet didn't touch the floor until after he landed on his backside.

Do you whistle a travel at this point or do you allow A2 to land on his butt because his feet never touched the court?

I believe at one point there was a case play on it that has since gone away. IIRC, it was legal.

NFHS: You cannot touch the floor with any part of the body other than the hand or foot while holding the ball.

4.44.5 Situation A (2013-14 Case Book)

Is it traveling if A1 falls to the floor: (a) while holding the ball; or (b) after being airborne to catch a pass or control a rebound? RULING: Yes in both (a) and (b).

NCAA-M: Nothing in the rules about touching the floor with something other than the hand or foot. Falling to the playing court without maintaining a pivot foot is a violation. If the player falls to the court without the foot ever touching, I don't believe that would be a violation.

Same for NCAAW -- but there is that confusing case to the effect that "it's traveling because it's virtually impossible to fall to the floor without moving the pivot foot."

What if the player gets the ball and then rises, without moving the pivot foot?

Sounds like that one is gonna hurt!:eek:

It is traveling under all three rules sets: NFHS, NCAA Men's, and NCAA Women's. This has been traveling going back prior to the National Basketball Committee of the United States and Canada split into the NFHS and NCAA Men's Rules Committees. Nothing in the definition of Traveling has changed going back over well over 55 years.

It is, however, legal under FIBA Rules if my memory serves me correctly.

MTD, Sr.

Ok under FIBA
 

25.2.3. A player falling, lying or sitting on the floor:
• It is legal when a player falls and slides on the floor while holding the ball or, while lying or sitting on the floor, gains control of the ball.
• It is a violation if the player then rolls or attempts to stand up while holding the ball.

There is nothing in the current NCAA-Men's rule or case books that make the OP's play a travel.

NCAA Mens Rule Book: Rule 9, Section 5, Art. 7. It is traveling when a player falls to the playing court while holding the ball without maintaining a pivot foot.

There was no pivot foot to maintain in this play.

Exactly. The player didn't meet the requirements to avoid the travel. To avoid a travel when falling, the player must maintain a pivot foot. Not having one, the player clearly didn't maintain one. Therefore, the player traveled.

NFHS, this is a travel. I'd have to double check the wording tonight, but touching the floor with anything other than the feet or hands is a travel. The exception is when a player gains control of the ball while already on the floor. An airborne player who gets control prior to falling does not qualify for the exception, so it's a travel.

Maintain means you've already attained or gained something. You can't maintain something you never had.

Exactly. And that means it is a travel since it required to maintain a pivot foot when falling to the floor in order for it to not be a travel. It is impossibe to mee the requirement if there is no pivot foot to be maintained.

In order to maintain a pivot foot one must first establish one. Once they fall to the floor they can establish a pivot foot and have to maintain it if they want to get up.

The travel rule for college and high school are not the same. They are written differently and are interpreted differently.

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They are different in that they allow a player with a pivot foot to fall if they can maintain it, but otherwise the same. And that is consistent with how I've seen it called in both HS and College.

The dictionary definition of "maintain" supports BNRs position. It is to continue something etc. I understand your position. Frankly, i don't think I've ever seen or will ever see the play described. A foot is going to hit at some point and when it does it becomes the pivot foot. It will move. That's why it's always called travel in high school and colllege.(or because in college folks assume falling is travel)

If this were a test question based only on the wording of the rule "maintaining" then I'm with BNR. Now the rules folks may not have meant it that way but that is what the language they have used means.

In my college games, if an airborne players hits the ground torso first, I'm not calling a travel. I may have had that play once or twice in my college career.

By the letter of the rule i think you are correct. a guy lands on his back without his feet hitting the floor isn't travel, yet. Also by the letter of the rule, when either foot touches the floor it becomes the pivot. The player in the op didn't gain control on the floor so he doesn't get the benefit of the sliding/slash sitting up provisions. I havnt ever seen a player fall and keep both feet up in the air etc. A player may fall and hit with feet up first but at some point, very soon after, one is going to touch floor…and move etc.

An NCAAM approved ruling for this situation would be welcome.

Maybe I'll shoot Art an email.

I'd save it for something else. You've had it twice in a career I think u said. I really think the way college rules are written that if his foot or heal touches the floor, even after he has landed entirely on his backside, that foot becomes a pivot and a player isn't going to keep it or even know to try and keep it while laying on floor. It's going to be travel