Jump Stops confuse me.

Play #1-A1 is dribbling down the floor-stops the dribble and, allthough attempting to perform a jump stop, in reality has the left foot hit the ground well before the right foot. I assume the left foot is now the pivot foot and the player can pass or shoot the ball. Can I also assume there is no violation if the player jumps off his left foot and releases the ball before the left (pivot) foot returns to the ground?

Play #2-A1 is dribbling the ball down the floor and, when ending the dribble, performs a good jump stop. Can either of the feet be considereded the pivot foot?

In both cases it depends on how the player performed (or attempted to perform) the jump stop.

What would be the criteria or a scenario? For matters of explination let's say there is no step in between the end of the dribble and going airborn to perform the jump stop.

Part of the confusion may lie in the fact that there are (at least) 2 different and distinct moves that are commonly referred to as a jump stop. I can't explain them as well as some others have in the past, so I will leave it for someone else to explain what they commonly look like.

For me if a player does a proper jump-stop and then takes another step, that's a travel.

Gotta define which kind of jump stop. There's

1) catch (or gather) the ball with one foot touching, jump off that foot and then land on both feet. Legal

or

2)catch or gather the ball with both feet touching, then jump and land on both feet. Illegal.

The problem for the ref in #2 is to define when the catch or gather takes place. The move where the dribbler swoops her hand with the ball around a defender while wiggling sideways inbetween with her feet, all while airborne, and then landing past everyone near the basket is the most difficult play to judge, I think. Sometimes, the landing after all this wiggle is step, step, hop. When was the ball "caught"? If before the first step, this is a travel, regardless of any foot details. If after the first step is taken, and the first foot isn't lifted before the second step, this is a travel. But if the ball really isn't caught until after the first step and the first foot is lifted before the second step, this is legal. The whole thing takes less than a second, so it's very difficult to judge.

Sometimes after this two footed landing there is another two footed hop. When was the ball "caught"? Were the feet both on the ground at the same time during the step-step phase?

It takes a lot of experinece to judge these things. A lot of refs don't bother to learn, and that can make for some inconsistency. If we all continue to work on finding the pivot foot, and studying the details, it'll be better for everyone.

Here's the NCAA definition of jump stop, which was added to the rule book this year. All of these are legal.

Section 42. Jump Stop.

Art. 1. A jump stop is executed when a player catches the ball while moving or dribbling with:
a. One foot on the playing court, jumps off that foot and lands simultaneously on both feet (no pivot foot).
b. Two feet off the playing court, lands on one foot, jumps off that foot and lands simultaneously on both feet (no pivot foot).

Art. 2. A jump stop may also be executed when the dribbler has one foot on the playing court, initiates a jump off that foot, ends the dribble with both feet off the playing court and lands simultaneously on both feet (either foot can be established as the pivot foot).

The FED rule is the same.

So, if TWREF will indicate what kind of jump stop occurred in his (?) two plays, then the answers to the two questions will be answered.