Jump stop
 

In a 2A varsity Boys game, I was trail in the front court. The nimble point guard had driven the lane all night, but passed off everytime, not ever taking a shot. The opposing team had set up in a 2 three zone. This time the point drove the lane, jumped off the pivot with a long stride as if to shoot, tucked it back in, landed on both feet. Jumped again and made the shot. I have to admit, it looked really weird. It developed really slow, strange, but absolutely, legal. I'm sure you've seen these type plays. Lead waves off the basket and calls the travel. Opposing team coach, is hollering travel. I retreat to the division line for the throw in. Point guard sets up next to me, looks over and says, what was illegal about what I did. I pause, look away to the baseline. Look back at him and say, "Ask the official down there, what he saw". I understand we are partners in this game, but sometimes, you have to let the other guy stand on his own whistle. I'll back my co-official all the way, but when I honestly don't have the answer, Its best to say nothing and refer questions to the calling official.
The only time I get involved in a call is if I am with a green official and he needs help. If a coach is biting his or her ear off, I'll go over and try to diffuse the situation and encourage the official. A bad call is just that. Get the ball back in play.

I think you handled it perfectly....better to do that than try to make something up...incidentally I HATE when I see a good play like this called a travel....

If the player jumped off the pivot, he has to pass or shoot before landing. He didn't. Therefore he traveled. Good call by your partner.

Rule 4-44-3(b)- <i>"After coming to a stop and establishing a pivot foot, if a player jumps, neither foot may be returned to the floor before the ball is released on a pass or try for goal."</i>

Yeah, this is an issue with me too. Watching an unusual call by a partner then having a player or coach ask me what I saw. I don't want to hang a partner out to dry but I don't want to be dishonest about what I saw if I disagreed with the call. Most of the time I do what you said, ask him/her what they saw. I suppose you can say "from my angle, I might have seen it differently" but that might invite trouble as well.

You hate seeing an official make the right call?:confused:

Rule 4-44-2 A player who catches the ball while moving or dribbling, may stop, and establish a pivot foot as follows:
(b) If one foot is on the floor:
(2) The player may jump off that foot and simultaneously land on both. Neither foot can be a pivot in this case.

The play sounds legal to me, but the description of the pivot foot is incorrect - the player never had a pivot foot.

There we go, I was a bit confused and had this same play two nights ago (neither of us called anything, which was correct). No pivot established in the first place.

JD you are correct. My explanation was faulty.

You are correct by rule JR, I didn't read it that closely - but I think the he misspoke and didn't mean to say he jumped "off the pivot"...I think you can picture the play he is referring to, as he is gathering the ball, he jumps off one foot and lands on two, therefore he does not have a pivot, but can jump off both and pass or shoot...

Quit it already you're killing me!

I would never say this. I'd simply say, "Coach, my partner had the angle on it you'll have to ask him." I wouldn't imply I saw something different, just that I didn't have the angle to get the call.

Yeah, that seems a good way to say it. I'm going to make a note of it.

Unfortunately, the original post said that the shooter <v>did</b> have a pivot foot. We can only give answers to what is given to us. And what was given to us was an obvious travel.

That's cool if he misspoke. But we can only answer on what we're given.

Every time I try to read somebody's mind, I invariably screw it up. :)

Fair enough, though I prefer to probe when it's not clear. And I inferred from his post that he was talking about a legal jump stop. :D

If the player with the ball is dribbling and jumps and while both feet are off the ground lands on two feet they can't have a pivot ... correct?

However, if a player is thrown a pass and and makes a jump stop while catching the ball they can pivot, correct?

If they land one foot first - the first foot to hit the ground is the pivot and can step with the other and shoot or pass.

Johnny - if the player picks up his dribble while in the air and lands on both feet simultaneously, he can pivot on either foot. Same with catching a pass.

The only time a player can't establish a pivot foot is if he/she picks up a dribble with one foot on the ground, then jumps off that foot onto both feet simultaneously. This is a jump stop as defined in the rules, and the player can then lift one or both feet and shoot or pass, but cannot pivot.

Not quite true. I'll leave it up to you to look in the rules book to figure out why.

That's why we have this board - what's not true. It ha to be a slight miss-wording on my part????????????????

I'd guess that the point that bob is making is that by not landing simultaneously the player may have travelled. It depends upon what happened before that.

The first foot to touch is not the pivot when it touches the ground. The first foot to touch becomes the pivot when the second foot touches the ground.

Nope, they can even jump off that first foot and land simultaneously on both...legally.

I would like to see that play :)

in the air land on one and then jump off that and land on two...the triple jump!

No, it's a jump stop. See it all the time above the age of 15.

Most skilled players (point guards in particular) do this all the time. I see it many (but not all) games...and see it several times in some games.

The first jump is not usually a vertical jump but more of a stride...

...player dribbling down the court such that both feet are off the floor when he/she ends the dribble by catching it. The left foot lands, the player jumps/leaps forward off that foot, then lands on both feet together. Basic jump stop.

What does that mean as far as skill level? Does Texas use 5A thru 1A? So this would be similar to a class D game in states that use A B C D?

I never can follow state classifications. New Jersey and California have me confused the most.

In NY, AA would be the highest level, followed by A, B, C, and D.

In other states, AA is the next to lowest level, as they go from 6A down to A.

Sorry for the momentary diversion from the thread.