Traveling Question

[dbking]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

A: The travel rule says that the ball must be released on the dribble before the the pivot foot comes off the ground. On any other action, as in a shot, pass, or requesting a timeout, the pivot foot is permitted to be lifted before the action, but it must not return to the floor before the offensive act. Since the right foot is the pivot foot, and it is lifted before a dribble, that player can no longer legally dribble. Doing so would be a travel. They are permitted to shoot or pass or request a timeout, however.

B: Shorlt.y

I completely and totally agree with Jugglingref on A.

I am not sure what SHORLT. means but I assume that the y is yes for a travel on B. The pivot foot returned to the ground and this is a travel no matter what you try to do with the ball, dribble, shot, pass or call time out.

I believe that the travel violation is the hardest call in basketball. The rule is complex and judgement must be made in a fraction of a second. The only way that you can do this well is to practice watching game tape and in person, id the pivot foot and understand all the complexities of the rule.

We did this as part of a class at a ref camp. We were 20+ rows up in stands with a D1 official for a complete game. We would watch the game and D1 official would ask on individual plays what was pivot foot, what could they do etc. This helped me immensely in calling travel. I probably watched ten plus games during that camp and continue to do that at any game I attend or watch.

Women's college officials are probably the best at this. IMHO, men's officials miss 5+ travels a game. I see alot of HS officials miss travels and call non travels. We must practice to get this right.