spot violation
 

Watched a rookie official whistle a violation on a player for moving on a designated spot throw in. The official signaled with a travel mechanic. I said to a varsity HS / small college ball official that the rookie official got the call right, because they moved well outside of a 3-foot area, but they should not have signaled a travel

He told me I was wrong and that is the proper call - a travel. Is this even close to being correct?

Isn't this just a violation and point to the spot? You should never call this a travel, correct?

Travel is not the proper call, but I have seen the travel signal used (improperly) for this violation at all levels.

Used to be a travel violation. Now, it's a throw-in violation. No real signal for this, I would just blow my whistle and point in the opposite direction to signal throw-in for opposite team. If any asks, then say "throw-in violation, moved outside 3-feet area".

When was that?

Not sure, but been told by some elder officials that years ago you would call a travel violation. He could be right or wrong, but I don't have any rulebooks older than then 2004-2005 season when I first started.

For as long as I've been officiating it was never a called a travel.

It's entirely possible that said "elder officials" are just as wrong about what the rule used to be as many current officials are about what the rule is today. I'm just sayin' ;)

Yeah I hear ya, but this guy is called "Mr. Rules" in our chapter. He knows all the rules now, you could pretty much ask him anything. But I'm not sure about how knowledgeable he was of the rules "years ago".

Speaking of old rules, I would love to get my hands on a rule book from 20 years ago, just to see how much the game and rules have changed.

Relying on rules interpretations fabricated by this individual will severely impact your reputation, career and sanity.

You have been duly warned!!!!!

Ouch?

He's right. There is no specific signal for this violation, other than the very general "point to the spot where the bad thing happened". So, other than perhaps amending his advice to include pointing to the spot before pointing the other direction, he's spot on.

Check It Out ...
 

Disagree. There is a NFHS signal for a designated spot violation, #26.

We have a Mr. Rules locally. I wouldn't trust him with an interpretation from this year, let alone something "years ago."

The easy way around relying on others for information is to have the best knowledge of the rules in your area. That's done by, oh, studying the rulebook.

You might want to take a peek at the current edition as well.

I know our winter is bad.....
 

But, y'all are cold!

As far as I know, it's never been a travel. The important part, though, is that officials know it's not a travel now.

I would have asked him, "So the thrower has to keep his pivot foot?" The answer would have told me all I needed to know.