NBA alters traveling rules

[jdennis187]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4563546

NBA players will be able to take two steps before they have to stop, pass or shoot this season.

The NBA has put into writing a rule allowing players on the move to gather the ball, after driving or catching it, and then take two steps. Throughout NBA history, the rulebook said players could take one step.

The new rule reads, in part: "A player who receives the ball while he is progressing or upon completion of a dribble, may take two steps in coming to a stop, passing or shooting the ball."

It is believed to be the first time any league, at any level anywhere in the world, has explicitly allowed two steps.

In March, NBA vice president of referee operations Joe Borgia told TrueHoop's Henry Abbott that referees had long been instructed to ignore the rulebook on this point and allow two steps.

Did anyone actually know this? Is this to make lebron's crab dribble legal? I guess my question would be can i pick up my dribble, step with my left foot, step with my right foot and then gather with two feet. I think how players take off for dunking and hop/drop steps is sometimes travelling, i dont know.

discuss

[Starksfor3]

This just means Lebron, Wade, Kobe (i.e. the chosen ones) will now be allowed to take four steps without a travel being called.

[Fat Kat]

This just means Lebron, Wade, Kobe (i.e. the chosen ones) will now be allowed to take four steps without a travel being called.

Those guys are gonna tuck the ball like Adrian Peterson and barrel to the rim.

[NyKnicks1714]

Huh? I thought it's always been two steps.

[nykfan70]

This just means Lebron, Wade, Kobe (i.e. the chosen ones) will now be allowed to take four steps without a travel being called.

LOL, they already do that, I have seen LBJ take 5 or 6 steps to the basket while Gooden was setting a pick with his arms stretched out to keep any defenders from getting to LBJ. That was one example a couple of yrs ago, but there are so many others that I have seen LBJ and others take numerous steps to get to the hoop, it's a joke that now they are making it legal to do so. Jason Kidd has done it his whole career when he makes those fancy passes, he travels all the time, the NBA has just made it a circus, with this rule, it's pathetic to loosen the traveling rules, they need to tighten them up.

[dk7th]

this is absolutely a travesty. it's going to make the game more unwatchable than ever. if i want to see playground ball i'll go to a playground. what this does is make poor ballhandling even worse and gives knucklehead players even more room to be ballhogs.

stupid idiot stern. can't we get rid of this guy and get an old-school player to run this damn league?

[NyKnicks1714]

People aren't getting it. We've seen 2 steps happen ALL THE TIME. The NBA has long allowed it, and now they're just making it official. This won't change anything.

[NoLayupRule]

I think its a good move to make it explicit. These scab refs have been calling a lot of BS travels so far this preseason

[kane2021]

Im lost. I thought it was always 2 steps? That has been my understanding for years and have even been instructed on it.

[EchelonNYK]

Great good, Stern.....NOT!!!

[dk7th]

Im lost. I thought it was always 2 steps? That has been my understanding for years and have even been instructed on it.

the rule used to be that you pick up your dribble and you have one and half steps to get rid of the ball for a shot or a pass. they allowed ewing the bunny hop because he did not have the footwork but actually it started getting bad by jordan's prime. maybe that's why he was hacked so mercilessly by first the pistons and then the knicks-- he could get to the lane because the refs didn't make the calls.

there is an absolute direct correlation between these rules being loosened and the proliferation of me-first ballhogs who would otherwise have no game to speak of were it not for the fact that refs don't call the iverson palm/crossover, the ewing bunny hop that you see being utilized by brandon roy, and the ridiculous number of steps that are taken between dribbles by the likes of bryant, lebron james, and lesser players like nate robinson. all the jordan wannabes who never seem to win anything are victims of the very rules they don't have to obey.

why? because the loosening of the rules promote individual play over team ball.

my take is that the quality of the sport has degenerated since they loosened the rules around traveling, palming, and moving picks-- not to mention the banning of the hand check.

[GuyverADL]

Well this makes sense since it is hard to stop on a dime when running full speed down the court.

I like it. Stern making some nice enhancements. Especially with video rule book.

[KnicksGod]

Im lost. I thought it was always 2 steps? That has been my understanding for years and have even been instructed on it.

I think it's been 2.5 steps to the basket and 1.5 steps picking up your dribble if not to the basket.

[kane2021]

Im lost. I thought it was always 2 steps? That has been my understanding for years and have even been instructed on it.

the rule used to be that you pick up your dribble and you have one and half steps to get rid of the ball for a shot or a pass. they allowed ewing the bunny hop because he did not have the footwork but actually it started getting bad by jordan's prime. maybe that's why he was hacked so mercilessly by first the pistons and then the knicks-- he could get to the lane because the refs didn't make the calls.

there is an absolute direct correlation between these rules being loosened and the proliferation of me-first ballhogs who would otherwise have no game to speak of were it not for the fact that refs don't call the iverson palm/crossover, the ewing bunny hop that you see being utilized by brandon roy, and the ridiculous number of steps that are taken between dribbles by the likes of bryant, lebron james, and lesser players like nate robinson. all the jordan wannabes who never seem to win anything are victims of the very rules they don't have to obey.

why? because the loosening of the rules promote individual play over team ball.

my take is that the quality of the sport has degenerated since they loosened the rules around traveling, palming, and moving picks-- not to mention the banning of the hand check.

Excellent post. And I agree. There is another thread here where I talk about these rule changes and catering to the jordan baby wana bees. Mostly on the defensive side. But palming violations is a issue that angers me during many games.

Another rule that I greatly dislike is the over the back rule on rebounds. I feel that if a player comes from behind you, and rebound the ball over you then to bad. If there is no push, no catapult, then you just got out rebounded.

[dk7th]

Im lost. I thought it was always 2 steps? That has been my understanding for years and have even been instructed on it.

the rule used to be that you pick up your dribble and you have one and half steps to get rid of the ball for a shot or a pass. they allowed ewing the bunny hop because he did not have the footwork but actually it started getting bad by jordan's prime. maybe that's why he was hacked so mercilessly by first the pistons and then the knicks-- he could get to the lane because the refs didn't make the calls.

there is an absolute direct correlation between these rules being loosened and the proliferation of me-first ballhogs who would otherwise have no game to speak of were it not for the fact that refs don't call the iverson palm/crossover, the ewing bunny hop that you see being utilized by brandon roy, and the ridiculous number of steps that are taken between dribbles by the likes of bryant, lebron james, and lesser players like nate robinson. all the jordan wannabes who never seem to win anything are victims of the very rules they don't have to obey.

why? because the loosening of the rules promote individual play over team ball.

my take is that the quality of the sport has degenerated since they loosened the rules around traveling, palming, and moving picks-- not to mention the banning of the hand check.

Excellent post. And I agree. There is another thread here where I talk about these rule changes and catering to the jordan baby wana bees. Mostly on the defensive side. But palming violations is a issue that angers me during many games.

Another rule that I greatly dislike is the over the back rule on rebounds. I feel that if a player comes from behind you, and rebound the ball over you then to bad. If there is no push, no catapult, then you just got out rebounded.

you know the over the back is a tougher one for me. there was a passage in charles barkley's book where he relates how his coach told him to not bother boxing out and just go for the rebound. i did not understand this instruction since my coach-- an ex pro himself-- drilled us in the necessity of the box out. it was a drill we hated because he put a little ring inside the rim that almost always produced a reboundable ball. needless to say it was exhausting, along with pressing and trapping drills.

but darned if those drills didn't make us better players.

my problem with the no call on over the back is that it rewards taller players for being tall instead of making it a more competitive game by allowing shorter players-- like barkley for instance-- to utilize the box out to prevent taller players from rebounding over them. in short it rewards physical stature more than basketball skill.

[magic+]

the rule used to be that you pick up your dribble and you have one and half steps to get rid of the ball for a shot or a pass. they

what do you guys mean by one and a half step? You get to gather the ball and/or simultaneously get a step, then you get your second step? thats a half?

[!nstinct]

This just means Lebron, Wade, Kobe (i.e. the chosen ones) will now be allowed to take four steps without a travel being called.

Those guys are gonna tuck the ball like Adrian Peterson and barrel to the rim.

LMAO - did Nate used to play football? He should be able to thrive in this stupid rule also.

How can you change the rule on traveling? There is an original rule on that and you just cant change it. The NBA is really becoming bigger than just a joke. I dont understand this at all. Tell players they not in the street/local gym anymore and they have to adopt to playing the game with the rules.

[KnicksManiac]

It's not like they enforced the one step rule anyway.

[KnicksGadfly]

It's not like they enforced the one step rule anyway.

Still..I don't think this was supposed to be the solution.