Travelling in the nba

[mp3]

Ok, this has being eating at me for a few years now watching a hell of a lot of basketball on league pass.

I understand that the refs miss things but with replay center and all the experience the refs have why do they let basic fundamentals slide and not call the traveling?

Today, I have the house to myself so am taking in a few games (4 so far!) And in each game there has being at least 5-6 travels that don't get called.

This has to be one of the worst I have seen this week!

phpBB [video]

[NovU]

Players probably know they can get away with it most of times so they do it. Look at LBJ in last year's Finals. It's ridiculous how non calls were made on travelling violation when millions people are tuning in. Examples have been made over and over, the refs won't call travelling violations.

[Andrew]

Yeah, that's probably one of the worst I've seen in a while. I don't mind a bit of leniency on a bit of foot shuffling, or "close enough" non-calls, but that's quite blatant.

[mp3]

One that was bugging me last night when I watched the knicks/Lakers game of how many times both teams where allowed to hand the ball off like they have in nba live 16 but they are clearly taking 2.. 3... steps without putting the ball on the floor, Robin Lopez did it a fair few times right in front of the refs.

This is supposed to be the best league in the world with the best athletes in the sport so let's play like it and do things right.

[I Hate Mondays]

Sometimes, the refs go for the show instead of the rules. Let's say they were very critical, blowing the whistle when every mistake was seen. Would the fact that Lopez took 3 steps more change the flow of the game ? I don't think so, he didn't do it on purpose, this is how he is used to play the game. The players would eventually learn to play clean basketball, but if they are allowed 1 or 2 random mistakes per game like they are allowed now, it's not a tragedy, it's just ugly. I am all in when it comes to blowing the whistle at an important part of the game(exemple from above, the finals) or when it comes to a made basket, but sometimes it's just useless. It's true that the players will get used to not being called from time to time, but they should know that when they attempt a game winning shot at the end of the game and they make two extra steps to create space, they will be whistled. Make them feel comfortable, then hit them hard when it hurts the most.

[Andrew]

That reminds me, I've always found it a bit puzzling when commentators suggest that certain calls shouldn't be made in the Playoffs, that players should just be allowed to play. I mean, I do get where they're coming from, but it's always struck me as being a bit silly. If ever there's a time to call the game to the rulebook, it's in the Playoffs, where every game counts and is a step towards someone being eliminated, with the championship ultimately on the line.

[mp3]

If that was the case that they "should let the players play" then yeah why not them pick up the ball and then dribble again or play with 6 players?

It was embarrassing in the playoffs with LeBron and the world watching, he is supposed to be "the best player in the world" right now so does he really need help?

[big-shot-ROB]

If that was the case that they "should let the players play" then yeah why not them pick up the ball and then dribble again or play with 6 players?

It was embarrassing in the playoffs with LeBron and the world watching, he is supposed to be "the best player in the world" right now so does he really need help?

From an European view, yeah, sometimes we feel nba officiationg is, let's say it, off.

[mp3]

I live in Europe too, watched alot of big euroleague games over the years like you have probably done yourself and it's always a real battle on each play and every possession being played like it's the end of the game!

I've always found the nba the most entertaining basketball to watch and I still do but when you watch a game like Real Madrid and Barcelona the refs are not letting anything go just so the crowd can see a big dunk or something like that.

Also another one of my gripes on this is that you have the nba replay center because as they say "EVERY PLAY MATTERS"

[I Hate Mondays]

Oh in Europe, the refs call every single travel violation. We even got that rule, when you receive the ball, you can't take a single step before you start dribbling the ball. I don't know what's the English official name for the violation, here we call it the "start-off travel". That gets called A LOT in european basketball.

[Stress Fracture]

Oh in Europe, the refs call every single travel violation. We even got that rule, when you receive the ball, you can't take a single step before you start dribbling the ball. I don't know what's the English official name for the violation, here we call it the "start-off travel". That gets called A LOT in european basketball.

Basically in international games where strict FIBA rules are used. Players in our college leagues gets called for traveling when they do that.

[I Hate Mondays]

Players in our college leagues gets called for traveling when they do that.

The same goes in Highschool games. By the time european players hit the big leagues (if they ever do so), they are used to dribble the ball first. Even so, they often get whistled for the FIBA traveling when they are professionals; refs can't give them a break.

[big-shot-ROB]

That's the most called travel violation, taking one step before starting to dribble. They pay too much attention to that, but if you have grown using the european rules you can reiceve the ball with two steps and after 10 seconds you will still known which is your pivot foot and which isn't, because referees know it and they call travel if you start dribbling with your pivot food.

[mp3]

And I love that they call that, I help out coaching a junior team a friend coaches and I know how much they watch he nba and try and play like them, the league (nba) should really set the standard and call players on it then they will stop doing it!

[I Hate Mondays]

Also, do you know when the NBA bigs receive the ball under the basket, they fake the shot leaving their opponents hanging in the air, and then they dribble the ball with BOTH of their hands once, to finally attempt a layup after that ? Is that legal in Europe ? I kinda see it as a double d.

[mp3]

You can bounce with both hands, a double dribble is only once you have dribbled and then pick up the ball... and then attempt to dribble again.

Another augment you could say regarding why the league let's players get away with travelling so much well didn't the league itself put in place an age limit of 19 to enter the draft and one of the reasons given was that all the high school players were still to raw and it was hurting the game??

[Andrew]

It's technically a violation when players make that two handed dribble, but it's something that's been relaxed over the years too. I'm sure if it happened out on the perimeter, it'd be called more often than not.

[I Hate Mondays]

I've always seen this as a false reason to keep the NCAA competitive. I wasn't following american basketball then, but from what I understand from other people, NCAA wasn't as good as it is now because players were allowed to jump into the draft straight out from highschool. Top players would skip college, with a few exceptions.
I don't think one year makes too much of a difference for a player's development. He can eliminate some mistakes, but the big ones will still be there. NBA is the place where you get it going.

[Andrew]

A grand total of 68 players have been Drafted and/or played in the NBA without ever playing college ball first, in the 70 years that the NBA has been around. I don't think the occasional prodigy jumping straight to the pros genuinely affected the quality of the NCAA game. High school to the pros was the exception, not the rule.

[Stress Fracture]

It's technically a violation when players make that two handed dribble, but it's something that's been relaxed over the years too. I'm sure if it happened out on the perimeter, it'd be called more often than not.

Is that a violation? I've always thought it's legal to do that provided you can't dribble the ball again

[Andrew]

It's a violation.

[big-shot-ROB]

I don't think it is a violation. Technically you are able to put the ball in the floor with two hands before starting to dribble. If you are running the break and you receive the ball in motion you are able to make the first dribble throwing the ball to the ground with both hands. So when bigs receive the ball in the paint and they make an unique bounce with two hands going for a dunk I don't think it's double dribbling. Correct me if I am wrong.

[Andrew]

Glancing at the NBA rulebook, it appears that it actually isn't a violation...providing you only dribble the ball once, as a dribble ends once you touch the ball with both hands simultaneously:

The dribble ends when the dribbler:
(1) Touches the ball simultaneously with both hands
(2) Permits the ball to come to rest while he is in control of it
(3) Tries for a field goal
(4) Throws a pass
(5) Touches the ball more than once while dribbling, before it touches the floor
(6) Loses control
(7) Allows the ball to become dead

To that end, it's pretty much unique to post up situations, since a two handed dribble on the perimeter is going to bring a swift halt to your movement. I think a lot of junior leagues would call it double dribble, and that does give the impression that it's a violation that the pros are simply allowed to get away with. The actual double dribble occurs when you dribble again after touching the ball with both hands simultaneously, so I guess that's what I was thinking of, and where the common confusion probably lies.

[koberulz]

Starting the dribble with both hands is entirely legal in every basketball league in the world. You're just not allowed to dribble again after you've picked the ball up. It's not that complicated.

[Andrew]

Yes, we've established that.