Can some direct me to the location of the rule regarding traveling. I need to show a coach the rule, regarding how many steps a player can take after a dribble...

As you will find out, the number of steps is irrelevant. It's based on establishing a pivot foot and then moving the pivot foot....

RULE 4 SECTION 43 TRAVELING
Traveling (running with the ball) is moving a foot or feet in any direction in excess of prescribed limits while holding the ball. The limits on foot movements are as follows:
ART. 1 . . . A player who catches the ball with both feet on the floor, may pivot, using either foot. When one foot is lifted, the other is the pivot foot.
ART. 2 . . . A player, who catches the ball while moving or dribbling, may stop, and establish a pivot foot as follows:
a. If both feet are off the floor and the player lands:
1. Simultaneously on both feet, either foot may be the pivot.
2. On one foot followed by the other, the first foot to touch is the pivot.
3. On one foot, the player may jump off that foot and simultaneously land on both. Neither foot can be a pivot in this case.
b. If one foot is on the floor:
1. It is the pivot when the other foot touches in a step.
2. The player may jump off that foot and simultaneously land on both. Neither foot can be a pivot in this case.
ART. 3 . . . After coming to a stop and establishing a pivot foot:
a. The pivot foot may be lifted, but not returned to the floor, before the ball is released on a pass or try for goal.
b. If the player jumps, neither foot may be returned to the floor before the ball is released on a pass or try for goal.
c. The pivot foot may not be lifted before the ball is released, to start a dribble.
ART. 4 . . . After coming to a stop when neither foot can be a pivot:
a. One or both feet may be lifted, but may not be returned to the floor before the ball is released on a pass or try for goal.
b. Neither foot may be lifted before the ball is released, to start a dribble.
ART. 5 . . . A player holding the ball:
a. May not touch the floor with a knee or any other part of the body other than hand or foot.
b. After gaining possession while on the floor and touching with other than hand or foot, may not attempt to get up or stand.

4-43.

thats great, thanks.

I have a rather simple question about dribbling too regard "steps".

if a fast moving dribbler, while keep his/her hand on top of the ball (hand facing mostly downward, less than or around 90 degree), manages to run more than 2 steps with the ball still in contact with that hand, before the ball leaves the hand and bounce again, the dribbler does not violate any dribble rules, is that right?

the assumption is that the dribbler does not "palm" the ball (hold it with fingers).

Thanks.

ysong

A player can't travel while dribbling.

There is a rhythm to a dribble, the number of steps between bounces does not matter, what matters is the spaces between the bounces while the ball is on the hand.

If a player is dribbling bounce...bounce...bounce...bounce and suddenly you have bounce............bounce something probably happened involving stopping the dribble. A carry or double dribble has likely occured.

Remember the basketball fundamental, you can't travel during a dribble.

I think if you call illegal dribbles based on this, you will get a lot of them wrong. Good dribblers can vary the time interval between dribbles while remaining quite legal. Even I can vary it if I'm not actually trying to make much of a move at the same time. It depends on how close to the ground they push it back down and how hard they do so.

I'm not saying I call it based on sound, but hearing that rhythm change has focused me on the dribbler's hand, and lead me to a violation call.

It's a tool. If I hear a pause, I'm picking up the hand.

I have also had problems with coaches about traveling. A coach told me that the rule book allows for an extra "step" on layups. I don't know where she got this. I couldn't find any thing like this in the rule book. How much leeway do you allow on layups or do you call it strictly by the book?

I distinctly remember reading in some official basketball rules (forget which) about 3 years ago about a "2-and-a-half" beat for layups...but can't find it anywhere anymore. Either everybody has redacted this term from their rules or else there is something very wrong with space-time in the Universe (I will NOT accept that it was just my imagination).



In any case, the 2-and-a-half-beat rythm is redundant with the rules for traveling as they are currently widely written. All a 2-and-a-half beat really means is you can pick up your pivot as long as you shoot/pass before your pivot hits the floor again, which is what current rules allow.


But can anybody please confirm that there used to be such a term?

dribbling
 

I almost had to excuse a coach, during one game, because his players kept taking a step and then shooting, after receiving a pass on the run. After they established their pivot, its done. They would take another step to shoot.

It was a long quarter....

I believe the 2 1/2 step thing is related to the pro rules.

Not to be found in ncaa or fed rules.

Under NBA rules , players averaging under 10 points per game are allowed 2 1/2 steps at all times. Those players averaging between 10 and 20 points per game are allowed 3 1/2 steps at all times. Players averaging more than 20 points per game can leap small buildings in a single bound, and thus are not limited to any set number of steps. They simply are NOT allowed to be called for travelling at any time. There is also a grandfather clause involved in this rule. If a player averaged between 10 and 20 ppg for 10 or more years, but later dropped under that ppg average, the player will still be allowed the full 3 1/2 steps until they retire.

The preceding information was provided by Bram Kennedy, liason to the NBA officiating staff. Hope that clears everything up.