Basketball Rule Question

[Toine43]

You catch a pass from someone, holding your left pivot foot. Continuing to hold your pivot foot, you plant your right foot and rise into the air to shoot a jump shot. Realizing in mid-air that the person guarding you is going to block your shot, you manage to dribble the basketball before either of your feet touch back down (and then continue to dribble around the court), avoiding an "up-and-down" traveling violation. Is this maneuver legal, or a traveling violation in itself?

[Lucky17]

Having a hard time visualizing this.

Regardless of its legality, I think this sequence would *look* like a violation, and result in a traveling call from the official.

[Overrated]

I've actually visualized doing this before but have never done it.

If one of your feet is planted while you lift the other off the ground, and then dribble, that's legal. It's the same as planting one foot and moving the other foot around, and then dribbling.

But if you jump with both feet in the air and then dribble, I'm not sure. I want to say that's legal, but I've never seen someone do that, so it could be illegal (traveling).

[Redz]

I'm not looking at the rule book, but it sure seems like a travel to me.  I believe you have to shoot or pass once you've taken two steps or gone airbound.

[scoop]

Yes, once you lift the pivot floor off the floor you may pass, shoot or ask a timeout. Returning the foot to the floor or initiating a dribble constitutes a travelling violation.

[fairweatherfan]

I got into one of those idiotic "bring the pickup game to a complete halt while I yell and whine about my own ignorance of the rules" conversations for calling this exact violation on some random guy a few months ago.  So I'm very happy to get confirmation that no, you cannot jump-dribble and just keep going.   

[chicagogreen]

pretty sure that is legal, no steps, so what if you jump when you start dribbling, unless there is something specific in the rules that says no because the judgement call about the ball hitting the ground before your feet is a close on, and would look weird as somebody else mentioned.

[Kiorrik]

pretty sure that is legal, no steps, so what if you jump when you start dribbling, unless there is something specific in the rules that says no because the judgement call about the ball hitting the ground before your feet is a close on, and would look weird as somebody else mentioned.

You are not allowed to lift your pivot foot without shooting or passing before you land.

Period

[chicagogreen]

i've thrown the ball off the defender in that situation (I get blocked a lot) like an out of bounds play, that is definitely legal, and fun for everyone - no one likes a shot blocker.    

[Kiorrik]

i've thrown the ball off the defender in that situation (I get blocked a lot) like an out of bounds play, that is definitely legal, and fun for everyone - no one likes a shot blocker.    

True that. Good one, great solution.

[Kiorrik]

i've thrown the ball off the defender in that situation (I get blocked a lot) like an out of bounds play, that is definitely legal, and fun for everyone - no one likes a shot blocker.    

True that. Good one, great solution.

Actually, think about that a bit.

Dribble, set, pumpfake, jump, if he goes for the block; toss it against his body and dribble on past him. Should be practicable. Could change the face of the NBA. For worse.

[chicagogreen]

"You are not allowed to lift your pivot foot without shooting or passing before you land.

Period Smiley"

Is it really a pivot foot before any dribbling has gone on?  The guy hasn't dribbled yet, he just caught the ball.  

[scoop]

"You are not allowed to lift your pivot foot without shooting or passing before you land.

Period Smiley"

Is it really a pivot foot before any dribbling has gone on?  The guy hasn't dribbled yet, he just caught the ball.  

Of course there is, otherwise you could simply walk all over the court holding the ball because "I haven't established a pivot foot". There are circumstances where you can pick a pivot foot (catching the ball on a jump-stop, for example), but there's definitely a pivot foot without dribbling.

Besides shooting or passing, you can also call a timeout. That's all.

[fairweatherfan]

Besides shooting or passing, you can also call a timeout. That's all.

Maybe in college or HS, but the NBA has had the "at least 1 foot on the ground inbounds" rule for timeouts for about 10 years now.  I think shooting, passing, and throwing the ball off an opponent are about it.

[looseball]

NBA Rulebook under Traveling:
XIV  g.
"If a player, with the ball in his possession, raises his pivot foot off the floor, he must pass or shoot before his pivot foot returns to the floor.  If he drops the ball while in the air, he may not be the first to touch the ball."

(I'm glad I looked this up.  I always argued, myself, that it wasn't traveling.)