Dribbling rules clarification

[bob jenkins]

Originally posted by GR Dad
Hi officials:
I'm a dad in Grand Rapids who has never played organized basketball. My son is a seventh grader, and plays forward/center on his grade school team.

He is the tallest kid in his class and growing rapidly. He is a strong defensive player, but offensively he is limited to little jump shots because he is hesitant to put the ball on the floor. He feels like he cannot move at all without dribbling the ball. For instance, when doing a layup, he dribbles to just beneath the basket, stops and shoots.

I would like to work with him in the driveway and help him be more mobile around the basket. However, I've never heard anyone articulate the basketball rules that describe how many steps a player can legally take after completing a dribble. I have no personal experience playing organized basketball, so I'm not much help to my son.

Can a player complete a step in progress and take another? Can a player take two steps? Can one of the officials in the group articulate this so I can help my son work on his post moves in a manner that is consistent with the rules?

THe rules don't speak in terms of "number of steps."

In general, the pivot foot may be lifted, but not returned to the floor, on a shot. The pivot foot is established as (a) the foot on the floor when the dribble is ended (held in one or both hands), or (b) the first foot to land (if both are in the air) after the dribble has ended.

The usual sequence, then, for a RH layup is: (1) End the dribble with the left foot on the ground (or just about to land) -- this makes the LF the pivot foot; (2) Step to the right foot; (3) Jump off the RF (as the LF comes forward as in another step); (4) Release the ball; (5) Land on the LF (this would be a travel if the ball wasn't released).