pet peeve- traveling call
 

I had a good game last week and one of the reasons was the veteran ref I was working with was not calling traveling unless it was clear the player did. A game I had before my partner called a bunch and some of them were right, but others were just good moves. It always annoyed me as a player when refs would call traveling on instances when a player would make a good headfake, or a quick first step. Players sometimes seem hesitant to make an explosive move right when they get the ball because violations are so often called. Too many refs have this attitude that you have to get around the player while dribbling and any moves that a player does that shake the defender without a dribble must be a travel.


Well I tried looking for the pearls before swine pet peeve strip but alternate.

http://www.flubu.com/comics/pearls21464160040517.gif

I have often posted on here trying to explain to other refs who read this board and coaches about what is and what is not a I travel. There are so many officials at the highest of high school levels that don't understand how to make this call! It is painful to see a good move whistled by a guy who takes no pride in understanding the rule.

It is my opinion that the travel rule is the hardest in the book. There are many things that looks like a travel and are not. Factor in the speed of the game, athleticism of the players, whether players gain possession on or off the floor, moving vs. stationary, determining if a pivot foot has been established or not, and knowing allowable footwork both before and after a pivot foot is established. All that must be determined in the blink of an eye.

Give me an easy block/player control any time.

True ... no doubt about it. There are so many travels that are missed in a college hoops game that you clearly see on DVR.

You just have to know which foot is the pivot. It's that simple. If you don't know, you don't call it.

My pet peeve is the travel on 3 point shots that is waaaayyy to often passed on. I was very glad to see it included in the women's points of emphasis this season. By letting shooters set their feet, we are giving the offense a huge advantage. Sorry a little off topic, but it is my pet peeve travel. :D

I especially hate when the 3 step shuffle is not called. I've worked with a guy twice this year who lets this go every time. Then, when I call it - I take grief.

It is indeed simple. But, as Darryl pointed out above, it's not easy.

Agreed. This is so prevalent in our area, especially among the girls.

I had a boys JV game a couple of months ago where I called about 5 travels on the same kid for catching the ball on both feet, making a tiny little hop to set himself and then shooting the ball. He was going nuts by the fifth whistle...

We had a drive down the center of the lane last night, boys varsity. 2-person, I'm trail.

Kid tried to jump stop off one foot, but the feet did not come down together. I went up with an open hand, my partner (looking high) had a foul. Interesting - was the foul on the "way down" or on the "way up"? I had no angle.

I walked down and I asked him and he said "way up" and I called the travel. Home coach didn't like it, but he claimed it was because the feet came down together, which was actually a comical statement cause it wasn't even close.

A lot of "good moves" involve taking a step to go around a defender without starting the ball to the floor. That's going to get called every time, at least when I'm working.

While I feel your pain, my follow-up question would be:

If you're concentrating on doing your job and officiating your primary, how in the world would you know whetehr they were really travels or good moves?

He was passing but his partner likes to call in front of him :D

My take is the basic problem here is training. When new officials come into local associations in this area, illegal contact is discussed much more extensively -- I think there is an assumption that "everyone knows what traveling is".

Whether this is due to trainers own inconsistencies or understanding I don't know. Officials who are 'trained' in this fashion are off on the wrong foot (pivot or otherwise) and will be left to educate themselves.

PLUS -- the reading of the rules about what is and isn't traveling is not easy. A quick read through of the definition causes the brow to furrow. You really have to want it to 'own' the traveling rules. Then, you get to go out into the real world where clearly a significant percentage of officials don't 'own' the rule and make your way.

I just coach AAU level (so I know my credibility is now shot with most of you), but I find it interesting how different area of the state (Texas) call traveling differently. Here in Austin it seems that the traveling calls are quite infrequent, whereas in San Antonio and Houston they are called much tighter.

pet peeve - power dribble up and under move being called a travel!!!! (back to the basket post player on block - lets say left foot is pivot foot - power dribbles to the paint stepping with the right foot, picks up the dribble, pivots 180 degrees on the right foot, pump fakes, steps through with the left foot, lifts the right foot, jumps off left foot and shoots). When a ref misses it once I assume that they were surprised to see it executed. When they miss it twice I know they aren't very experienced.

yeah the rules aren't all too clear if you read it for the first time. The jump stop one for example. I would have loved to ref Hakeem back in the day with all the moves he did. Barry Sanders of basketball. well maybe that is Chris Paul but either could fit.