Dayton IPFW - Travel

[johnny d]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

In the play from the video I agree:

But, if a player lands on his butt or his back it is not a travel because he never established a pivot, which happened in the very first game I ever officiated (military intramurals using NCAA rules). That is the first rule I ever looked up because the person working with me said I should have called a travel.

There is nowhere in the NCAA rule or case books that says a players falling from midair on any part of his body other than his feet/legs has committed a travel.

I took an informal survey of 5 guys I know who work men's college basketball ranging in level from NAIA/D3 up to D1 working in BCS conferences. None of them said they would not call a travel on the player landing on his butt. None of them changed their mind or opinion even after I read them the rule as you pointed it out about the pivot foot. I know that doesn't make travel the right call and that it is a small sample size, but I would venture to guess you would be in the very small minority of people that do not call this a travel. It would be nice for some clarification on this issue. But I think your interpretation is an unintended consequence of a poorly worded rule.