The Jump Stop
 

I would like to hear how this is called and what some of your takes are on this play.

A1 dribbling into lane, while dribbling jumps and secures ball and lands on two feet (a.k.a. the jump stop), from there A1 can do what ...?

Well, there are really two "jump stop" situations. (and from your OP, I think you're talking about the first, but just in case, I'll mention the second.)

1.) Player stops the dribble with both feet off the floor, and comes to a "jump stop." In this case, player may establish a pivot foot, and pivot, pass, or shoot.

2.) Player stops dribble, with one foot on the floor, hops off that foot, and then comes to a "jump stop." In this case, player may either pass or shoot, but may not pivot. Lifting a foot from the floor, and then returning it is a travel.

I do my best to enforce these two situations, and if there's any doubt about whether there was a step before the "jump stop," then I assume there was none (can't call something you don't see principle).

What about the player who stops his drrible with both feet off the ground and lands: left foot, then right foot ... his/her options?

The first foot to touch the floor is the pivot foot. In this case that is the left.


Johnny,
All of this is clearly detailed in 4-44-2. :)

. . . 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.

I have seen the jump stop called travels many times......I have done it once or twice!

___________________________

:D Yep, that's one of the basic truths listed in "The Howler Monkey's Guide to Basketball. Among the many others are

1. Paying your $3 to get in a game allows you to show your ignorance of the rules all night long.
2. The refs are always out to get your kid's team.
3. Three seconds is always a good thing to yell.
4. You should always begin to yell "Call it both ways" about 12 seconds into the first quarter.
5. Over the back and reaching are great basketball rules. They are surely listed somewhere in the Bible.
6. All fans should get a license to referee because we all know that you could better than those clods out on the court!
7. If it weren't for referees your kid would be a superstar and headed for the NBA!

I had looked at 4-45-2 ... was just curious to see what people say and how they call this. I see perfectly executed jump stops after a player was dribbling and stop their dribble while coming to a jump stop. Often I see an official call a violation.

It depends so much on the definition of "jump stop". If the player gathers the ball while both feet are in the air, there's a lot of lee-way. If the player has both feet on the ground when he gathers the ball, there's no such thing as a "legal jump stop".

It's not only what the feet do and where the feet go that matters, the hands on the ball are also an important part of the equation. Exactly when does the driblle end? That's a hand/ball issue, and where the feet are when that happens isn't always easy to see all in one good photo op at 55 mph.

There are also a lot of refs that don't study the details of the travelling rule, and just call it if they don't like it, especially at the lower levels of play, and at the rec level.

So it's always a tricky question.

Just because it looks funny, ugly or fugly does not make it a violation.
A good example is A1 is running and the ball is passed to him/her. A1 does not secure control of the ball. He/she is muffing the ball. A1 moves 5-6 ft during the process. A1 secures the ball an starts the dribble.
I have seen more officials call this "Travel". It looks sooooooooooo bad but it is legal:)

3 out of 4 times it's not performed correctly. That's my take.

Interesting, three out four times I see the officials call this incorrectly. Especially officials at the lower levels. Guess that's why they are there.

There's two standard jump stops within the rule book definition.
1. Ball gathered with both feet in the air, one foot down and jump once to land on both feet. Legal, but neither foot may be put back down once lifted before passing, shooting, or calling a timeout. This is more typical with a drive to the basket.
2. Ball gathered with one foot on the floor, jump and land on both feet. Legal with the same restrictions as above. I see this more often with jump shooters on the perimeter (especially around the three point line) and used to call it traveling. Man I was wrong.

Just last night, this came up after my girls' game. One of the girls for the home team performed several jump stops during the game. I happened to be the trail official (2-whistle) for most if not all of them. She would dribble from the 3-point line and then drive to the FT circle, jump and land around (or just inside) the FT line. She would then take a nice 14-foot jump shot.

Each time she did this, I found myself thinking, "Wow, nice jump stop! Landed exactly on 2 feet and everything." Usually, I see the player land "thump-thump", espeically in boys' games.

Anyway, after the game, we're in the locker room and a retired official, who taught me more than I can say, comes in and asks us about it. The opinion of the gathered refs in the stands was that the move was a travel. So he just wanted to talk to us about the jump stop in general.

We talked about exactly what rainmaker was saying. You not only have to see the feet, but you have to see exactly when the dribble ended (in the air or on the floor). I still think they were good jump stops. It was obvious that she's practiced the move to get it just the way she wanted it. But I wouldn't mind seeing the tape for my own improvement on the call.

In the common vernacular, a "jump stop" is also gathering the ball while in the air and landing on both feet. In this case, either foot can be the pivot foot.

The problem comes when someone hears "you can pivot after a jump stop" (meaning my example right above), and applies that to "you can pivot after *all* jump stops" (meaning Snaqwells' definitions 1 and 2).

... and if there is a thump-thump, what?

If the dribble is ended while both feet are in the air, how can those officials say to you they though this was a violation?

Obviously these are the types of plays you have to see...just interesting to hear everyone's point of views here.