Remember that traveling is a violation which means moving one or both feet while in possession. Players in basketball cannot take over two steps with the basketball in their hands. If someone takes more than two steps while traveling, they will be called for traveling.
Why Is Traveling Illegal?
The traveling rule can provide the defensive team with a fighting chance. Suppose your opponent sprint without dribbling, then take many steps and change their pivot foot. If it happens, the defensive team won’t get a chance to stop the ball.
Therefore, you should implement specific rules to reduce the offense’s advantage, like double dribble, back-court, and traveling violations.
What’s The Penalty For Traveling?
Like a double dribble, traveling can cause a dead-ball turnover by the offense. You can see the defense receiving the ball and throwing it from the sideline or baseline at the college level.
Regarding the NBA, it is essential to make the ball inbounded between the free throw line and the baseline.
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Travelling Rules
If you see the NBA’s official rulebook, you can find a few primary considerations regarding traveling in basketball. Now, let’s see closely at what is considered traveling:
- While standing still, if you receive the ball, use the foot as the pivot foot, but remember only one foot.
- If you catch the ball while progressing, you can take two steps if coming into a pass, shoot or stop. In addition, you will get another gathering step if you have not dribbled yet.
- Whether you are willing to dribble after catching the ball (if you stand still or come to a full stop), ensure you must leave the ball before raising your pivot foot off the ground.
- If you possess the ball, pass it or shoot it before returning the pivot foot to the ground.
- Ensure you never be the first one to touch the ball after dropping the ball once the pivot foot is raised.
- If you fall to the floor while holding the ball, you won’t get benefits from purposefully sliding.
- You can’t touch the ball after shooting unless it first touches the rim, backboard, or another player.
- After receiving the ball or ending your dribbling, you should not touch the floor consecutively with the same foot.
- Traveling violations are considered only on the ball handler after catching the ball or stopping their dribble. Besides, you have to be in bounds to travel.
- The referee will start blowing their whistle as soon as the travel happens. Thereafter, the defense will get possession. Next, players take out the ball on the sideline nearest the violation spot.
Other Examples Of A Traveling Violation:
These are a few instances of a traveling violation, including:
1. Rolling on the Floor:
If you have the basketball on the floor and roll over with it, it might be called a traveling violation.
2. Jumping while in possession:
We know it as ‘up and down.’ If you leave your feet with the ball, ensure to pass or shoot it before your feet touch the ground again.
3. Passing to Oneself:
Suppose you have possession and made a pass mistakenly without another player touching the ball. It will be considered a traveling violation.
4. Falling Down:
If you fall to the floor without committing a foul while having the ball, they will be considered a traveling violation because their pivot foot might have left the floor.
5. Sliding the Pivot Foot:
Although the pivot foot doesn’t come off the ground, it must stay in a similar spot on the floor.
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FAQs:
1. Are Traveling Rules Actually Enforced?
You must know that it is a fast-paced game. Therefore, it is not so simple to catch each single traveling violation. It is most challenging for referees with some seasons of experience.
NBA critics often say traveling isn’t called as often as it needs to be. But most critics are unaware that the NBA’s definition of traveling differs from other levels. This definition is eight parts and incorporates the “gather step.”
It means referees are also humans who overlook the obvious ones sometimes. Besides, if you find any traveling violation missed, it is because the game speed is very fast. As a result, the referee didn’t see it or did not have, so confidence to make the call.
Therefore, you must not be surprised if you see some calls missed each game because it is a split-second decision. Regarding youth basketball-level travels, you can’t see strict referees on each traveling violation.
When each traveling violation was called, a whistle appeared each 5 – 7 seconds, and it was not a matter of joke.
It means referees must not let young kids get away with everything. Ensure there must be a balance on how much traveling. When the players get older, referees must get more strict.
2. How do you avoid traveling in basketball?
If you want to avoid this, you should first understand the rules. It is the first step to avoiding it while playing basketball. But it can not guarantee success with the ball in your hand. Like other sports, you must require a lot of practice to feel comfortable holding the ball.
Fortunately, you can try several tricks to decrease the risk of traveling in a game. Jump stop is one of the tricks. This trick is reliable and you can try it to set yourself to achieve success while receiving the ball.
While landing on the court, both feet touch after receiving the ball. Most players prefer this trick while receiving the ball as it enables them to select their pivot foot. It becomes tricky while landing on one foot as you must not want to make a mistake by taking an additional step.
Remember that you can easily practice the jump stop, whether alone or with your team. If you are with your team, the coach can line up the players at the baseline about five feet apart.
Once the whistle blows, the players will begin to run towards half-court. After that, they perform the jump shot on the second whistle. While doing that, the coach yells out a foot and direction to pivot on.
You can get four choices: left foot back pivot, left foot front pivot, right foot back pivot, and right foot front pivot. The coach can change the foot with the direction each moment he blows the whistle.
If you find yourself alone, you should do similar things. But it is essential to take your coach out of the equation. In this case, you should mix with and without the ball in different court areas. Try to do it with some defense, whether your friends also want to practice.
You should make yourself more comfortable with receiving the ball or picking up your dribble because it will reduce the probability of drawing traveling violations on the basketball court.
3. How Many Steps is a Travel Violation?
A travel foul occurs while a player takes over two steps without dribbling the ball. As a player, you can move till you keep on dribbling. If the player comes to a complete stop, the left or right foot may be the pivot foot.
Usually, the first foot which comes off the ground may move while the other remains planted.
You can take three steps while playing basketball on offensive plays without dribbling. Suppose a player can take three steps to dunk from a pass from their teammate for forwarding momentum.
Although it is a travel violation, it will be the referee’s discretion on what is happening in the game. Referees always want to maintain the flow of the game moving. Therefore, they can let the travel violation slide.
However, remember that they must have the right to call it a travel violation if it takes benefits of the three-step rule.
4. How Do NBA Referees Decide What’s Travel?
All basketball leagues follow specific traveling rules, whether NFHS (high school basketball’s governing body) or the NCAA, NBA, or FIBA.
Most regulations are the same and can create rules to set up a pivot foot. It enables you to set position by moving one foot while keeping the other stationery. These rules can allow s pivot foot to move illegally, triggering a travel violation.
Whether one player receives a pass while moving, they might take a gather step before taking these two steps to evaluate a travel call.
Remember that one player can take control of a loose ball anytime, and it might be in the process of a pass, a bounce, or a rebound. When you go to gather the ball, the player can touch it with both hands.
Once you gather the ball, you are allowed to take a first and second step before attempting a field goal. The NBA rule book lets you know who can touch the ball after a field goal attempt.
For instance, you shoot the ball. You can’t touch the ball first if it fails to touch the hoop, backboard, or another player. We know it as an air ball also. If they perform, they can receive a traveling call.
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