NBA admits ignoring traveling rule and now changes it

[Nevadaref]

Updated: October 16, 2009, 1:44 AM ET
NBA to alter traveling rules


ESPN.com news services


NBA players will be able to take two steps before they have to stop, pass or shoot this season.

The NBA has put into writing a rule allowing players on the move to gather the ball, after driving or catching it, and then take two steps. Throughout NBA history, the rulebook said players could take one step.
The new rule reads, in part "A player who receives the ball while he is progressing or upon completion of a dribble, may take two steps in coming to a stop, passing or shooting the ball."
It is believed to be the first time any league, at any level anywhere in the world, has explicitly allowed two steps.
In March, NBA vice president of referee operations Joe Borgia told TrueHoop's Henry Abbott that referees had long been instructed to ignore the rulebook on this point and allow two steps.
On a conference call with reporters earlier this week, NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson told Abbott: "Based on Joe's comments, when you had a conversation with Joe, we did in fact tweak the language on traveling in this year's book."
Enforcement of the one-step rule has been hit-or-miss at every level of basketball. Archival footage shows NBA greats, from Magic Johnson and Pete Maravich to Bob Cousy and Julius Erving, getting away with two steps. Borgia, whose father was also an NBA official, said he cannot remember a time when NBA referees did not allow two steps.
Others insist allowing two steps represents an NBA strategy to aid scorers and make the league more exciting. Legendary point guard and current Knick broadcaster Walt "Clyde" Frazier says the league relaxed traveling standards some time ago to increase scoring.
"They go 20 feet to the hoop without dribbling one time," Frazier said. "This is what they are getting away with nowadays. Some of them are so obvious. You'll hear me on the broadcast saying 'That's a travel! Watch the feet!' Wilt [Chamberlain] would have averaged 100 points a game if they had let him do that.
"When guys couldn't put up points, about when they changed the hand-check rule, they made things easier for scorers, because these players can't shoot like we did," Frazier said. "Those few years when the Knicks were good [the early 1990s] -- that wasn't pretty basketball."
Whether or not this will affect play on the court remains to be seen. Referees have long been instructed to allow two steps and in interviews with NBA players last season there was some confusion about the rule. But most said they thought they were allowed to take two steps.
ESPN.com TrueHoop blogger Henry Abbott contributed to this story.

[Nevadaref]

Walt Frazier is right on. The NBA is not real basketball. It is about entertainment and making money, so the league has done whatever it can to increase scoring in the belief that that will sell more tickets and increase the TV audience.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

Walt Frazier is right on. The NBA is not real basketball. It is about entertainment and making money, so the league has done whatever it can to increase scoring in the belief that that will sell more tickets and increase the TV audience.

True enough, but not unique to the NBA. Look at the average score in a MLB game today and 30 years ago (mainly park design and player fitness -- steroids AFAIK were not introduced deliberately to increase scoring). NFL, NHL have also changed rules to increase scoring.

Unfortunately, great defense sells tix only to wonks like me.

[Indianaref]

I know NBA scoring has diminished over the last 30 years or so. Does anybody know the actual numbers?

[dsqrddgd909]

Originally Posted by indianaref

i know nba scoring has diminished over the last 30 years or so. Does anybody know the actual numbers?

'78 - '79 110.3
'88 - '89 109.2
'98 - '99 91.6
'01 - '02 95.5
'04 - '05 97.2
'08 - '09 100.0

[Raymond]

This article validates what I, and many others, thought. That if NBA players were getting away with travelling it's was because the NBA officials were calling (or not calling) that play per guidance from supervision.

I recall a couple folks who just couldn't wrap their brains around that premise.

[just another ref]

Just in case nobody noticed, NCAA officials are also ignoring a lot of traveling.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by just another ref

Just in case nobody noticed, NCAA officials are also ignoring a lot of traveling.

Yeah, but that's not with the supervisor's approval.

[truerookie]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Yeah, but that's not with the supervisor's approval.

I will say not totally true.

There is a different in interpretation of traveling:

There is a obvious travel and the other is not so obvious.

One is everyone can observe.

The other is not.

So supervisors not totally knowing is not totally true.

[zm1283]

I can't wait for the first "But he gets two steps" this year from a howler monkey who has watched some NBA games.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by truerookie

I will say not totally true.

There is a different in interpretation of traveling:

There is a obvious travel and the other is not so obvious.

One is everyone can observe.

The other is not.

So supervisors not totally knowing is not totally true.

????
My head hurts. I will say, you rarely see the little incidental travels called at that level. You know the ones, with no advantage and they only constitute a bit of a shuffle after gathering the ball. They're easy to spot but rarely called.

It's not ignoring the rule so much as interpreting it in a way that helps you advance.

[Vinski]

Now that it’s officially in the rule book as two steps, the officials will be instructed to allow three steps.

[Adam]

I have only one question:

How does this affect the crab dribble?

[deecee]

Originally Posted by Vinski

Now that it’s officially in the rule book as two steps, the officials will be instructed to allow three steps.

i was thinking the same

[Vinski]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

I have only one question:

How does this affect the crab dribble?

Ask this guy...