Is this a carry/travel or is it legit.

[btwong]

The other day in a game of basketball, i did this play, but one of my buddies thinks it was a carry or a travel, yet none of the refs called it. I have done this move a few times in my history of playing ball (a good 20 years) and have never been called for it. So can we please get some opinions on it.

The play:

The opposition had a shot, missed and one of my team mates gets the rebound. I am up ahead so he throws me the ball. But instead of coming straight to me, it sort of passes me on my left, and is heading to an opposition player. So the opposition player and myself are going for the ball. I chase the ball, and manage to touch/tap the ball above the opposition players head just as he gets to it. The ball goes over his head, and i keep running through, and then catch it. Am i allowed to dribble to ball, or do i have to pass it?

I have looked at a whole bunch of rules, including Fiba, and there is no real mention of this type of situation. I have seen it in games before (NBA, NBL (Australian basketball comp)), and nothing has been called.

So what are peoples thoughts on this?

[BktBallRef]

Without seeing it, we can't give you a black and white answer.

If you controlled the ball when you batted it, then you started a dribble. When you caught the ball, that dribble ended. Therefore, you can't dribble again.

Evidently, the official didn't see the bat as control, in which case it would be legal for you to begin a dribble after gaining possession.

Yeah, I know....clear as mud. But that's the rule. It's up to the official to judge the difference.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

Without seeing it, we can't give you a black and white answer.

If you controlled the ball when you batted it, then you started a dribble. When you caught the ball, that dribble ended. Therefore, you can't dribble again.

Evidently, the official didn't see the bat as control, in which case it would be legal for you to begin a dribble after gaining possession.

Yeah, I know....clear as mud. But that's the rule. It's up to the official to judge the difference.

Furthermore, if the bat were to be considered a dribble, it would be an illegal dribble to catch the ball before it hits the floor (as the OP seems to be describing). So, its not a question of dribbing again.

[btwong]

so, what i comes down to is the interpretation of "control". There was no real control of the ball when myself and the opposition player where going for the ball. I managed to flick/tap the ball to my favour.

What about this scenario:

Imagine 2 opposing players going for the rebound. As the rebound came down, one of the players managed to tap it up in the air to his side, and then caught it as it was coming down. Is he allowed to dribble or does he have to pass?

This is a very similiar to the original problem but a different take.

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by btwong

so, what i comes down to is the interpretation of "control". There was no real control of the ball when myself and the opposition player where going for the ball. I managed to flick/tap the ball to my favour.

What about this scenario:

Imagine 2 opposing players going for the rebound. As the rebound came down, one of the players managed to tap it up in the air to his side, and then caught it as it was coming down. Is he allowed to dribble or does he have to pass?

This is a very similiar to the original problem but a different take.

Taps off a rebound are not considered control.

I would be very surprised if you got called for a double dribble off this play.

Very surprised.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by btwong

so, what i comes down to is the interpretation of "control". .

If the ball comes to rest on your hand, you're deemed to have control. It's a judgment call.

[btwong]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

If the ball comes to rest on your hand, you're deemed to have control. It's a judgment call.

yep i can understand that. But if it came to rest with me, i wouldn't need to tip/bat it out of the way, as dribbling around him would have been fine. But it was 2 players going for the ball. I tipped/batted/whatever in my favour, (which would have been a split second tap), and then i caught it, started dribbling and all was good.

Thanks for your help people. Obviously it comes down to actually seeing the play and how much control i had over the ball. Its not like i dribbled around, then flicked it over his head, and then dribbled onwards.

thank you.

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by btwong

yep i can understand that. But if it came to rest with me, i wouldn't need to tip/bat it out of the way, as dribbling around him would have been fine. But it was 2 players going for the ball. I tipped/batted/whatever in my favour, (which would have been a split second tap), and then i caught it, started dribbling and all was good.

Thanks for your help people. Obviously it comes down to actually seeing the play and how much control i had over the ball. Its not like i dribbled around, then flicked it over his head, and then dribbled onwards.

thank you.

Well, actually....

If you're dribbling, bat the ball over the opponent's head, allow it to hit the ground, you can continue dribbling

[btwong]

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

Well, actually....

If you're dribbling, bat the ball over the opponent's head, allow it to hit the ground, you can continue dribbling

that seems sort of wierd to me.
so you can dribble up the court, and when the opposition comes to defend, you can hit/bat the ball over their head, wait for the bounce, and without catching, continue to dribble? That would seem like a carry as well as a travel to me. And thats something i have never seen in a game!

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by btwong

that seems sort of wierd to me.
so you can dribble up the court, and when the opposition comes to defend, you can hit/bat the ball over their head, wait for the bounce, and without catching, continue to dribble? That would seem like a carry as well as a travel to me. And thats something i have never seen in a game!

Yep, fully and completely legal....but unlikely that you'll ever see it.

This particular action goes back a loooonng way. The original dribble was not like we know it today. At one time the dribble was executed by tapping the ball up in the air repeatedly without it ever touching the ground. This form of dribbling grew out of the original rules that only prohibited running while holding the ball. It has been called an air dribble. This was deemed to be to much of an advantage so the rules were changed to say that the ball must be allowed to touch the floor between dribbles. The direction of the dribble is not restricted, only that it touch the floor.

A carry is NOT about the position of the hand relative to the ball but about what the hand actually does with the ball when in contact. Batting it upwards is not a carry because the ball is never caught (it does not come to rest).

It is also not a travel since traveling can only occur while holding the ball in all but one case (not this one).