Jump Stop Travel
 

I have been reading the rules under section 4.44 and have a question. If player A1 dribble drives to the basket, jump stops holding the ball (lands on both feet simultaneously while holding the ball), can she then pivot?

In a game yesterday a girl did this (I was in the stands) and after her jump stop, she either pivoted and kicked the ball out to the wing or took and extra wide step around B5 with her left foot still planted and made a shot. Both times the ref called travaling. The coach went nuts. Looked like traveling to me.

Rule 4.44.2.a3 seems to indicate that the call was correct.

The main article 4.44.2 reads "A player who catches the ball while moving or dribbling, may stop and establish a pivot foot as follows:" (How can a player catch the ball while dribbling?)

4.44.2.a3: "On one foot (I assume she would be on one foot as she started her jump stop), the player may jump off that foot and land simultaneously land on both. Neither foot can be a pivot in this case."

Your thoughts are appreciated.

KS - the term "jump stop" is often thrown around with several different meanings.

If the girl picked up her dribble, hopped on one foot, then came down on both feet - any movement of either foot here would be a travel.

If she hopped on one foot while still dribbling, then picked up her dribble and then came down on both feet, she can pick one foot to be her pivot foot.

From the wording of the play, it seems she performed the jump stop that does not allow her to pivot. Sounds like a good call by the ref.
Once that jump stop is completed, the player may lift either or both feet, but may not put them back on the floor while holding the ball without traveling.

If you consider the ball to becoming up to her hands on the first step, at which point she grasps the ball with both hands and makes the two foot landing jump stop, then she is able to pivot or step to make a try for goal.

If she had already secured the ball on the first step, then the double foot jump stop would be her final step: no pivot allowed, but she can make a try for goal or pass, as long as the ball is released before the foot comes back down.

Depends on when the dribble ended. Probably, it will be considered to have ended when she touched the ball with both hands, on the way toward shooting. If she's got one foot on the ground as that happens or if she lands on one foot after that and then jumps onto two feet, it's legal, but she's got no more movement available legally. If she takes her last one foot step, then "gathers" the ball (dribble ends here) while in the air and then lands on two feet, etiher foot could be a pivot. Also some refs blur that moment of two hands on the ball pretty far and will let this go. Others are very tight in observing the details and will call more.

Based on the wording you gave, this was a jump stop. After a jump stop is completed, you cannot do anything with your either foot but jump up to pass or shoot. But you cannot pick up your foot and put it back down.

Peace

Good feedback. So, if I read this right...

A1 is driving to the basket. She dribbles one last time and as her right foot is on the floor she grabs the ball and leaps for a jump stop. After she lands - no pivot allowed? Correct?

A2 is driving to the basket. She dribbles one last time and as the ball is coming up she leaps off her right foot and she grabs the ball with both hands in the air and lands in a jump stop. After she lands - pivot allowed? Correct?

If correct, those are some mighty fine hairs to split.

Along that same line, If watch and see the take off on one foot, then a thump, thump, its a travel.

Correct.
Correct.

Correct. :)

That's one of the things that makes traveling such a hard call.

Correct as long as the right foot is the foot she jumped off of.

This is correct but this would not be considered a jump stop (in my opinion) because the dribbler did not have ball when they leaped. Actually the dribble stopped while the player was in the air from my understanding. The first foot that comes back to the floor, would be the pivot foot.

Peace

But if they land at the same time, either could be the pivot, correct?

We consider the same thing when the player is going in for a layup. He/she is allowed 1.5 steps. Meaning the ball is on the way up on the first step (half step), grasp and one more step, then layup. Many think that players get two steps on layups, especially fans. :) It seems like that have taken two steps when in fact on the first step the ball was still on its way up from the floor. In this case (your op) the next step is actully the double foot landing.

Yes, if it is not considered a jump stop.

Peace

Part of the confusion on the term "jump stop" is because the rule lists "both" kinds together. IMO, the part describing the "jump stop" where the player catches the ball in the air and lands on one foot is redundant and not necessary.

The part describing the player catching a ball, then jumping off one foot and landing on both simultaneously, is necessary because the move would be illegal were it not for this particular exception.

IMO, you'd be far better off by removing that "1.5 steps" (or 2 steps, etc.) from your officiating vocabulary. Instead, concentrate on "allowed movement of the pivot foot" and whether the player's movements are in excess of that.

Good point. I can do that. Thanks.

Going by the number of steps is misleading (especially when you give a half step to something that, by definition, it quantized).

Just concentrate on what constitutes a pivot foot, and what a player can or cannot do with that pivot foot. You may still have trouble seeing these plays correctly, but when you see them, you'll know what to call and why you're calling it.

Good feedback gentlemen.

I suspect when driving to the basket, most players push the ball to the floor for that last dribble, push off of their right foot (example) as they are touching the ball with their right hand (example) as it comes back up and they go airborne, then actually secure the ball with both hands while in the air, then come down for a jump stop - then usually a bank layup.

Therefore, from what I am hearing, after the jump stop they would be able to pivot. So the "safe" call to make if in doubt would be "no call".

This is a tough one to call...

You're exactly right, but we still miss that alot, especially when they gather late and do a one, two step to the hole which is not illegal because of the pivot foot being established followed by the lifting of the pivot foot to jump off of the non-pivot foot to lay the ball in. Looks weird but is a legal play. This play happens alot in the pro game and yet almost everyone thinks they don't call it a travel when, in fact, it is a totally legal play at every level of basketball.

I think that's "always" true. Far better to miss something that happens than to call something that didn't.

Wouldn't the obvious acception be if she jumped to shoot.... right??...

Good call. I just assumed that was understood. :p

Not trying to show you up, just trying to learn. ;)

"Jumped" <> "Movement". Movement is placing the foot on the court at a different location (usually picking it up and placing it down, but it could be by sliding the foot).