FIBA have not adopted these rules yet as they are still in draft format.
The new rules are likely to be released towards the end of this year after the Nbl has commenced however I would imagine that the Nbl would follow suit on the travel rule for sure.

OK, so ''the next foot.. to land (while catching the ball) is the pivot foot''.

If the pivot foot is lifted without passing or shooting or dribbling - will that constitute a travel violation?

I hope that's how its called from now on, because we see so many players pivot as in rule above on leads to the 3 pt line, then pivot again (change pivot foot) to regain balance / composure, then execute their next move.

The application of the rule as read will restore some benefit to the defenders with ability to close out and know the ref will call travel on the lifting of the pivot.

Damo will be licking his lips on this one!

Will the NBL refs call it consistently though?

> Will the NBL refs call it consistently though?

BAHAHAHAHAHAHA

This is going to be a nightmare.

I can see lots of problems , firstly this means that the old 'one Two" count on landing, which made only "one - two - two" legal is now a travel , going against a few decades of training for most players. Now its only 'one - two- One" thats legal.

It would seem to me that changing the rules to make the "one Two " landing to be the same as the two footed "one" count landing, where once having stopped , the player can choose which foot to pivot on, would have been more along the lines of how it tends to get called.

I'm interested in any "odd" logic, which occurred with the old "bunny hop" interpretation will develop. eg, can a player then hop all the way down the court on one foot, until they plant the second foot to establish a pivot?, and can they then start a dribble ??

Lots of debate and confusion, do I ahead see ...:)

I can see lots of problems , firstly this means that the old 'one Two" count on landing, which made only "one - two - two" legal is now a travel

I bet McKay would be so awesome for the Wildcats now.

Yeah would be dominant!

And by the time this rule filters down to junior levels, the NBA will be letting players take 4 steps between dribbles. (There are enough times I see players get away with it already.)

Why not just save the frustration and let players run up the court with the occasional bounce like in AFL?

All this is about is making the actual rule more like the way it's actually called in most parts of the world.

From an NBL point of view, hopefully it will just mean a reduction in the overly techincal travel calls we saw last season.

Re "what?"


as many posters and players would know, officials were taught to count the foot contacts of a player with the ball.

1) if the ball was caught in the air with both feet off the ground, the first foot to contact ground was 'one' and was the pivot foot, the second foot down brought the 'two' count , and it could be dragged, lifted and replaced as often as the player wanted - hence multiple "two" counts, as soon as the 'One' counted foot moved , it was a "three" count and a travel.

2) If ball caught with one foot on the ground, then that foot was an immediate "one" and could not be dragged or lifted. The above infinite "two" count(s) remained,

Note: the "new" rule seems to make the two count the count that established the pivot foot, not the one count - IF correct that MAY give rise to problems in interpretation similar to the Old "Bunny hop" bastardisation - which was not anticipated when the "one - two" interpretation was first introduced in the early '80s

3) If ball caught with both feet in the air and both feet landed simultaneously , then that was a single "one' count and either foot could be moved for the iterative "two" count(s) without being travel.

The Bunny hop came from the SUBSEQUENT argument that if it was a two footed "one" stop, then the player should be able to do a two footed "hop" , again landing simultaneously on both feet, and that that would only be a 'two" count and thus legal - but ANY /either foot moving after that would be a "three" count ( unless in the act of shooting) and an immediate travel. A Stupid Stupid interpretation IMHO - but there it was..

Apply that type of reasoning to this new rule where the "one' count is/may be the "moving" or "stepping" foot AFTER the Two count on the other foot - and some dumbarse official ( and there are some) can argue that the player can hop down the court on one leg for as long as they want....Which obviously won't happen, but then we thought that about the bunny hop....

Clear now ?

Re " the NBA will be letting players take 4 steps between dribbles. (There are enough times I see players get away with it already.)

Why not just save the frustration and let players run up the court with the occasional bounce like in AFL?"


you could always, or at least since the 1960's, take as many steps between dribbles ( 2 bounces) of the ball as you like,.

You just could not

1) have the ball come to rest in your control/hand and then re-start the dribble. ( one or more hands underneath the ball, a two handed simultaneous touch, two consecutive deliberate hand touches during one "bounce" and/or palming the ball - being the 4 main called infractions)

2) move more than one foot while in continuous contact with the ball ( rarely called )

The concept of consecutive "air dribbles" being legal was taken out of the game in the '40s, but I seem to remember an argument for a single air dribble being legal, but haven seen it done/interpreted for years.

The Bunny hop came from the SUBSEQUENT argument that if it was a two footed "one" stop, then the player should be able to do a two footed "hop" , again landing simultaneously on both feet, and that that would only be a 'two" count and thus legal - but ANY /either foot moving after that would be a "three" count ( unless in the act of shooting) and an immediate travel. A Stupid Stupid interpretation IMHO - but there it was..

the "one' count is/may be the "moving" or "stepping" foot AFTER the Two count on the other foot

Very Old, I used to use the unlimited steps between bounces a lot.
However, whenever the kids I coach try to take more than 2 steps between bounces, they're called for travel or carried ball (even if they don't).

Have you seen it permitted lately?

I believe that the current rules allow the pivot foot to be lifted as part of a continuous 1-2-jump movement to either shoot (such as in a lay-up) or for a pass.

The "buuny hop" interpretation that I'm referring to is the one first brought into discussion in the early/mid '80s and was then as I have described it.

The one foot 'one" count land, followed buy a hop/broad jump into a simultaneous two feet "two" count landing - and preventing any further ability/allowance to pivot was the NEXT bastardization of the rule that followed the original "bunny hop" , at least that is as I remember it.....

Have no idea what other permutations of official interpretations may have gone into and out of fashion post 2003.

"hoopie" the pivot foot has always been allowed to be lifted to take a shot or a pass, its the re-placing it that is a violation, so I'm not certain what you are saying, I'm not up with the latest, interpretations, but I'd be surprised if there was any ability for the pivot foot to be "stepped" with when taking a shot.

Hoopie - I haven't watched a junior game for a few years, but I'd have a discussion with your local ref's coach if I was you, BUT Its impossible to do the old "stutter" fake ( as previously taught as part of the NIT program) without moving both feet multiple times while maintaining the dribble, and this was the one time where even if hand contact was maintained on top of the ball ( without palming) during that "stutter" the travel was not supposed to be called , even though it was technically a violation. The (then) interpretation was that as the player was not "progressing" with the ball past the defenter, (which is what the travel is meant to prevent), it was not in the spirit of the rules to call it a travel.

that move was generally taught to transition directly into a reverse or crossover , or both,and then followed by a behind the back , this was a pretty standard practice drill for my u/14s back in the day.

hope that is clearer.

hope that makes sense.

for the other old timers this may help.

Al Green used the stutter step very frequently. he would often then shoulder fake forward and then pull back and take a jumper.

Tim Morrisey used to attempt both types of bunny hops, usually in keyway traffic with mixed success..

ANON -

When you "simplify" a rule in basketball you usually bring in all sorts of unintended consequences.

When with a touring team in WA in the late 70's the officials in one game had bought into the argument that 3 seconds only applied if the player in the key was passed the ball, The logic applied was that a violation should only be called if an unfair advantage was gained, and the officials believed that being passed the ball was the only possible advantage of being in the keyway past 3 seconds.

. This false interpretation had apparently started in country nsw about 12 months before (shoalhaven ?) and had then traveled the country circuit across the nation, usually being obliterated by the state rules interpreters within about 3-5 weeks of arrival, but by then it had moved on through word of mouth..

however it seemed to have arrive in country WA with us, it was the Easter Geralton B/B carnival.

After trying to discuss it with the officials there and being told very clearly to go away, I decided to do this in the next game.

i checked with the game officials if they were using the "new" 3 sec 'advantage' interpretation, they said they were. I asked them when the three second count stopped, they said when a shot is taken or when the other team gains team possession of the ball. I said thanks.

The starting 5 was my 4 tallest players - 2 centres at 6"7 and 6' 8' , then forwards at 6' 7" and 6'5" and one short arse point guard who could dribble an dpass not not a great outside scorer


I had the guard bring the ball up while the four other players formed a semi-circle around the ring, arms up , elbow high and facing the ring, back to the ball - blocking out all other players .... and then the guard shot. We rebounded off the backboard and put it back in uncontested twice in consecutive play phases. The crowd and the other coach went absolutely ballistic both times.

we went back into a 131 1/4 court zone and just ate up the inside.

at 4-0 I called a time out, called over the refs and the other coach, asked if everyone would be happy to go back to the "old" 3 second count , we all thought it was an absolutely wonderful idea, and I then asked the refs if they were happy to re-credit my time-out and replace it with a refs time out ( all legal under the then rules) they agreed, i subbed out 22 bigs and had a good game that i think we lost.

That was the last that "new" interpretation was called that carnival.

I think it was about 76 or 77, not sure.


its harder than you think to "simplify" a rule

2 bigs, even i never worked out how to get 22 players on the court at the same time. ;)

The 'advantage' version is how three seconds is currently called pretty much everywhere, I believe.