I am a new official this year and have been doing a lot of jr. high games. I also play in an area rec league and we had a scenario come up last night that I was looking for some clarification on.

Player A attempted a shot in the lane and was well defended. The shot ended being an air ball that did not make contact with any part of the rim or backboard. Player A then cought his own shot before it hit the ground and went back up for an easy layup.

I was under the impression that this was a traveling violation. The official said that it is not considered traveling as long as player A made a legitimate attempt at shooting the ball.

Is this true or was this official blowing hot air??? Any imput would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Hendoo

Not traveling. If he had caught his own pass or an interrupted dribble then he would have traveled. Once a legal attempt is made he does not travel.

You had a good official.
Maybe you had one from this forum.
Study, study, study.

Only in the NBA is that air-ball thing illegal.
mick

Having a brain cramp.
 

Ron,
When is catching an interrupted dribble illegal?
mick

Thanks for the quick response. This looks like a great forum and something I plan to use a lot in the future.

That official sucks and is definitely not from this forum. That was probably the only call he made correct all year.

hendoo_32,
Welcome to the forum.
In most cases, it is advantageous to your officiating career to be a little more polite, or euphemistic, when describing a fellow official's work.
mick
<HR>
Officials suck less than they blow. :)

Mick,
I should have been more detailed. A1 may pick the ball up, i.e. recover the ball, but cannot dribble again after an interrupted dribble.. However, he could still shoot the ball. Sorry for the confusion.

I don't know whether I should be offended or ammused.:confused:

Aw! That shoe don't fit yer foot.
mick

Sorry about the mean remarks twords that official. He is one of those officials that does not take pride in his work and is only out there for the paycheck. I don't think he has crossed half court yet this year as a trail official. As a player I am fine with an official's judgement as long as he gets into proper position.

I look forward to future contributions/questions on this forum.

Thanks again,
Hendoo

Why can't A1 dribble again after the interrupted dribble? It's perfectly legal as long as A1 didn't end the dribble by letting the ball come to rest, or touch it with both hands at the same time. See casebook play 4.15.4SitD(b).

I think the "pick the ballup" was meant to imply "end the dribble."

Besides, this is a great way to boost your rebounds stats.:)

I'm surprised that the other officials who responded to this thread let you off so easy. The first lesson that you need to learn is to respect other officials. This guy may not be the greatest thing to ever put on stripes but he is there, otherwise, you wouldn't be playing.

You're also making assumptions about the official. You have no way of knowing if he's "only out there for the paycheck." That's a stupid remark that fans, coaches, and players make when they don't like someone's officiating. You need to make up your mind if you're going to be a professional, whether you're officiating, watching or playing or if you're just going to act like everyone else.

Finally, you might consider that this official "sucks," yet he knew the rule and YOU did not. If he "sucks," where does that put you?

[Edited by BktBallRef on Feb 26th, 2004 at 10:16 PM]

BBR makes a good point. There were a few changes I had to make when I decided to be a ref. The first was to quit bashing refs at the college games I was attending. The second was to give the refs the benefit of the doubt in most cases. The more you ref, the more you realize how difficult it is and the more you will cut the refs some slack when you think they made a mistake. For one, it may be that you are wrong and the call was correct.

Adam