This post is intended to be more of an observation than anything and I'm interested in hearing reactions. Of the annoyances that occur during the basketball game (most of which occur at the table), one that really bothers me is the propensity for many officials to call a phantom travel. Nothing can break up the flow of the game more than a series of phantom travels, with maybe a 3 second call mixed in somewhere. Last year travelling was a point of emphasis, and I think it should be again next year. My philosophy is to be sure it's a travel before I call it as I'd rather miss a borderline travel than call a nonexistant one. Too many officials in my opinion call a travel because something looks a bit funny, and often they aren't questioned by the coaches or players about it. Nothing more annoying for me than to have a travel call by a reaching official when I clearly see that the pivot foot never moved. Just my opinion, interested to hear thoughts.

Phantom travels and Phantom fouls, out of primary.

I see more travels that aren't called than I see phantom calls.

The phantom travels I see are when the player isn't holding the ball.

AAAhhh the old fumble travel. Yep, I see this at all levels.

I have worked with officials who "nitpick" travels and 3-seconds. I prefer to call the obvious (both ways) for both of those calls.

Z

In general, I agree, and I think most do. There are those little ones that really matter though. They aren't obvious, but they make a big difference, and those need to be called. But I expect you meant that, and I'm just "nitpicking" about language, right?

If it looks funny...
 

I let it go the first time and look for it the next. Maybe it was a travel, maybe it was legal. I look for the move the next time that player has the ball, they are allowed to fool me once.

It's funny that this thread is here. I'm new to this area and I've noticed that guys are always calling the smallest/borderline travel calls. When I started there was some sort of saying about not letting travel be your best call. There are many officials here who have traveling as there #1 call. If it is obvious then call it. If it is borderline and no advantage is gained then let it go. A patient whistle helps here a lot.
The funny part about this thread is I just got back from a over-30 game and one of the refs called travel on me. I was in the key, not the lane, and he called it from the lead. I looked at the trail and he said "I didn't call it Tom" with a smile on his face. The thing that pissed me off was 1. I work in the organization that does these games and I work with the official that called it and we are becoming friends since I've been in the area. We are going on a cruise in September together with our wives. He called me last night to shoot the breeze and we talked about me traveling. I said "yeah I know I do it sometimes and I don't even say anything." Also one of the things I always harp on him about is calling out of his area. The plays that I tell him about is the fact that I can have a play right in front of me and he will blow it. I mean blatantly wrong calls out of his area. Well, this was not one of the times I traveled. He told me after the game, which my team won, that he saw it out of the corner of his eye and he was focused on something else. Huh? He should have left it alone since he didn't have a good look and it was out of his area. I wouldn't have even said anything to him about it except, like I said, we are becoming friends and in this relationship I'm the "big brother." Oh well we won.

Saturday, I had a post season game in the Region VI. The official I rode with to the game site and I talked about NOT calling travels out of primary, because its not a "got to get" call when calling out of primary. Guess what the 1st whistle of the game was? yup, you guessed it. I'm L, she was C, I have the play in from of me. The girl started falling backwards, and passed the ball to a teammate before falling. She kept her pivot foot. Beep, travel. I guess I should have made it a part of my pregame.

Call it when it is!
 

My pet peaves are two fold. First, it is very important for all officials to call traveling when it is traveling. When people call traveling when it is not traveling, double dribble when it is not double dribble or legal or illegal jump stops when they are not legal or illegal, over and back calls that are not over and back it really leads to confusion on the part of the coaches, players and fans. My second pet peave is the irony of the situation that for many players, coaches and fans the more of this picky stuff you call the better ofiicial they think that you are. Many people still have not brought their knowledge and interpetation of the game and the intent of the rules into the new millenium and only remember how the game was called in the good old days when a three second call was an important part of the game or the nickel dime traveling was a call that just had to be made.

Good post DJ.

Beating a dead horse
 

I mean this as a legit question. So how is it called in the NBA? I always hear about NBA guys getting away with too many steps. I was watching a game objectively the other night, just trying to focus on their footwork. Sure enough, the guard would stand with his back to the defender, pivot one way, wait and pivot the other. I guess my question is this. Traveling IS called (rarely) in the NBA. At what point do they say enough is enough? Does it have to be an a/d call on a drive to the hoop?

In the NBA it is Advantage/Disadvantage. Thier rule on traveling is no different than ours. They do call it differently than we do and are told to do so. It has a to be a distinct advantage. The NBA isnt about favoring the stars, its about playing a proffesional level of basketball at a pace that keeps the game moving and is yes entertaining to watch. None of the NBA is staged and the supposed star system doesnt not exist. Next time you watch a game just look at thier selection of calls and fouls THEN look how fast the game moves.

Ah, to be 17 again! :)

And to still believe in the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny. :D

Re: Beating a dead horse
 

I think (those who care can go look it up) that the NBA allows a player to change pivot feet, as long as no distance is gained.

You worded it better than me Julie. You are correct.

Z

My pet traveling peeve:

Travels that are called when the pivot foot did NOT move or did NOT leave the floor. Correct me if I am wrong, but the heel of the foot lifting while the toe remains in contact with the floor is NOT a travel.

Agggh! Had one of these in a game last night. L is screened off the ball-handler by the defender. Ball-handler fakes a couple of different directions. Defense screams traveling. L calls it. His pivot foot never moved. :(

BTW, I realize that I prolly shouldn't have been looking there. But being very inexperienced in three whistle, and with nothing of any interest going on in the T's area, I didn't know where I should be looking. Anybody care to enlighten me? The player had come out of my area on a drive to the basket, and then pulled up.

I think the T can slide down thanks to flex rotation and help out the lead some. I may be wrong.

I have heard the term "flex" a few times. But I have no idea what it means. Can you explain it?

Its where the Center and Trail dont always have to wait for the lead to rotate. You see it more in the NBA and its not too highly praised in HS because it can complicate things. Lets say your C and theres a pass over to your side to a player right infront of you and the Lead doesnt come over you allowed to slide up and the T will usually slide down some to make up for the loss.

By the way the NBA is allowed to change pivot feet only when he is moving and recieves the ball he's alot a "two count" step. I found it in the rules and case book this morning but now I cant seem to find it. Willp ost when i do.

Flex= When the ball goes pass the far lane line extended, the L flexes to strong side. The T flexes to C position. So now you have L and 2-C's. Then when the ball ditates the old C may flex to the T position. SOOOOoooo "Flex" means "Rotate to a different position"

You ought to examine their rule on pivoting after a jump stop if you really think this is true. As for the star system, it doesn't exist in the NBA if steroids don't exist in baseball. Currently, there is no real test for either one :)

This not actually a "change" of the pivot foot but a difference in establishing it to begin with.