Traveling ??

[MJT]

By definition it is traveling if a player on the ground "tries to get up." Here is my question. A player has the ball while laying prone on her stomach. She rises to her knees, then passes.

Here is what I did and why. I did not call a travel. My reasoning was her knees were on the ground when she was laying down and they stayed on the ground as she got to her knees. My feeling was her status did not change as I just described. If she went from 2 knees to 1, travel, if she goes from 1 knee and stands, travel, but I'm not sure about this exact play. Another official I talked to about it tonight said "her stomach was her pivot point, so when it rose off the ground, she traveled." What would make her stomach be her pivot point?

No one would have said a word if I had called traveling, but I didn't think she was trying to get up, and her knees stayed on the floor the whole time. What are your opinions? Is there any "concrete" rule evidence I am missing?

[canuckrefguy]

Originally posted by MJT
If she went from 2 knees to 1, travel, if she goes from 1 knee and stands, travel, but I'm not sure about this exact play.

What's the difference?

If a player gets a loose ball sitting on her butt, and she tries to shift or roll away from a defender, we call travel. But if she's lying on her stomach and rises to her knees, it's legal?

Travel all the way, IMO.

[zebraman]

Going from a laying position to a position on her knees would fit the definition of "trying to get up." Travel violation.

Z

[Nevadaref]

Originally posted by canuckrefguy

What's the difference?

If a player gets a loose ball sitting on her butt, and she tries to shift or roll away from a defender, we call travel.

We call a travel? Not I. Attempting to avoid a defender is not necessarily a traveling violation. Rolling over is, but shifting or rocking to a side is not. Please give this one some more thought.

MJT,
Going from zero knees to one or two is a travel as that is considered an attempt to get up. The player certainly has a more advantageous position from which to pass the ball to a teammate or shoot. You should have called a violation on this play. Case Book play 4.43.5 Sit B will also give you good guidance in these situations.
Keep working hard.

PS The ONLY body part which can serve as the pivot is a FOOT. Notwithstanding some of Padgett's jokes about a pivot cheek!

[refnrev]

MJT,
I got a travel. There is no pivot stomach, either.