A traveling violation is when a player holds the ball and moves their feet without dribbling. This is one of the first rules people learn about basketball. This penalty encourages a player to dribble and control the ball and move effectively on the court.
How Many Steps is a Travel Violation?
A travel foul is a foul called when a player takes more than two steps without dribbling the ball. The player needs to keep dribbling, however, if they come to a complete stop. If the player is on the left foot, a player can move while the right foot remains planted and vice versa. Typically, the first foot that comes off the ground can move while the other stays planted.
In basketball, there are many ways to score a basket. The offensive player must have the ball in the correct position and must move the ball forward within the court. The ball can be passed to an offensive player for a shot, driven to the free throw line, or passed into the lane to a teammate for a shot.
The referee has the discretion to decide when a player has made an unfair attempt at taking advantage of the three-step rule. In the example above, the referee has elected to call this an attempt at abusing the rule, because it clearly constitutes a travel violation.
How Do NBA Referees Decide What’s a Travel?
In professional basketball, a travel is any motion of the ball or the players that takes them out of bounds. A travel is not necessarily an illegal play. However, if a player commits a clear violation of the rules, or the referee judges that the player is the one responsible for the violation, then the ball is immediately dead and play is continued using the last free throw to determine the score at the time of the violation. The player who was last in bounds is credited with two points if the ball was alive at the time of the travel.
If one of the above conditions is met, a gather is legal. Players are not allowed to gather and then pass. The player must choose which condition applies, at which point the player should say ‘I’m gathering the ball.’ If a player says ‘Gathering the ball,’ and then passes, the result is a turnover.
After gathering the ball from a field goal attempt, the player can take a first and second step before attempting a field goal or relinquishing possession of the ball. If they touch the ball, they are in violation of a shot clock violation. Also they can get a traveling call if they hit another player or the backboard before a player touches the ground.
What is the Penalty for a Traveling Infraction
Although NBA teams must stop traveling to call a foul, the NBA does not penalize traveling. The NBA also does not require a team to call a traveling foul in order to earn a foul shot. The opposing team can pick up the ball after traveling if it desires, but the traveling team is not punished for traveling.
When an offensive player commits a traveling foul in the NBA, the opposing team gets the ball. The game of basketball is played at ninety degrees. When a player commits a travel foul, the NBA allows the opposing team to receive the ball at the free-throw line and to the nearest legal spot.
Critics of Traveling in the NBA
There is an abundance of evidence to show that the NBA is in the middle of a conspiracy to favor high-volume, star players. When you look at the numbers, you can see that James Harden consistently gets favorable officiating.
Now, the defense is looking for a way to stop the Harden step back without taking away his driving ability. Here, Draymond Green is guarding Harden off the ball, and he does a nice job rotating while keeping his eyes moving with Harden. He doesn’t get tangled up in the screen, and the defender isn’t able to set a strong pick for Harden.
The NBA has a rule that states that if a professional player is awarded a travel or travel violation it can result in ejection. The league believes that this could lead to a disadvantage for players when they travel internationally and play in international competitions.
What is the NBA Doing About the Travel Criticism?
Referee discretion has been a point of contention on travel calls due to a lack of clarity on the rule and how it is applied. According to the league, it has been the subject of a lot of research and discussion, and after several months of feedback from NBA stakeholders and officials, the league decided to change the rule so that traveling is now a penalty called on the offense.
Conclusion – What is a Travel in Basketball
A travel call is issued if the player holds the ball, illegally moves his feet, and then is assessed a traveling foul. For instance, a player such as Chris Paul (pictured above) holds the ball, puts his feet in the paint, and then tries to dribble backwards, with his outside foot touching the ground, and he is assessed a travel call.
