Traveling or not?
 

I know we discussed this a year or two ago, but I can't recall what (if any) conclusion we came to.

A1 jumps to shoot, fumbles the ball, recovers the ball then lands. Is this a travel?

Hey, I resemble that OP. :)

It was from 2 games I had last year.

1st scenario:

A1 gets offensive rebound, leaps, ball touches A2 and dislodges, A1 recovers ball and lands.

2nd scenario:

A1 goes up for 3-pointer, while A1 is bringing ball up the ball flies out of his hands. He lands, moves 2-3 steps and catches the ball.

The silence is hurting my ears. Could we get some crickets or something? :D

I'm waiting for Bob Jenkins to answer. He always knows this stuff.

I'll bite.

Travel.

Player lifted his/her pivot foot. All he/she can do is pass, shoot or CALL:D time out.

I got a travel. He jumped while holding the ball. He returned to the floor while holding the ball.

You're a provocative one, CoachP ;) This is a maxim that gets bandied about quite often here. But it's not entirely true. For instance, the airborne player could simply drop the ball and after landing walk away, abandoning it. But it happens so infrequently that it's not worth cluttering our maxim by adding it.

My question revolves around another event that happens almost as infrequently...what if the airborne player fumbles? Another maxim we bandy about is that you can always recover a fumble. But is that one entirely true?

Normally I would agree. But "up and down" is not the actual violation. It's all to do with the pivot foot. If a player fumbles the ball he is no longer "holding the ball". And since "holding the ball" is a requirement of the traveling rule, how can pivot foot restrictions continue to apply?

Once the fumble is recovered and the still airborne player is again "holding the ball" and returns to the ground, surely the normal rules apply to determining which foot will be his new pivot foot?

Obviously I'm not certain about this or I wouldn't have asked the question.

A1 jumps to shoot, B1 blocks the shot, and A1 catches the ball before landing. Travel? It meets your criteria above.

Here's the one.


4-44-3b
If a player jumps, neither foot may be returned to the floor before the ball is released on a pass or try for goal.

This works better, and it leads to the decision of a travel. I was just objecting to the reasoning you gave before.

The most recent official written interp on this from the NFHS ruled the action a traveling violation.

2000-2001 BASKETBALL INTERPRETATIONS
SUPPLEMENT #1 (11/9/00)
SITUATION 1: A1 is an airborne shooter preparing to release the ball on a shot attempt. Instead of releasing the ball on the try, A1 fumbles the ball (while still in the air) and drops it. A1 then returns to the floor and secures possession of the ball. RULING: Traveling violation. While airborne the ball must be released for a try or pass. (4—43-3a; 94)

However, this ruling is from nine years ago and in the meantime the NCAA has published a ruling that the stated action is legal. Knowing how Mary Struckhoff tends to have the NFHS play rulings follow those of the NCAA with a couple of years of lag time, I wouldn't be surprised if the NFHS would reverse its previous ruling if it were to publish something in the present day.

A.R. 85. After ending a dribble, A1 leaves the playing court to attempt a
try for goal. While airborne, A1 fumbles the ball and:
(1) Recovers the fumble while airborne; or
(2) Recovers the fumble after returning to the floor. A1 dribbles
the ball. The official calls a violation. Is the official correct?
RULING: Yes. In (1) and (2) A1 is permitted to recover the ball
but after recovering the ball is not allowed to start another dribble.
However, if a fumble is touched by another player and then recovered
by A1, while airborne or after a return to the floor, A1 is allowed to
start another dribble. If A1 had not previously dribbled the ball, and
while airborne fumbled and recovered the ball (while airborne or after
a return to the floor), he/she is permitted to start a dribble.
(Rule 4-21.4.a, 4-31.2 and 9-7.1.c)