When Does an Individual Possession Start?

[Tukkerwolf]

Use NBA-refs as an argument in a traveling discussion is rather silly. They dont pay any attention to it during the game until they suddenly do and then not for the remaining minutes.

[quatin]

The rule of possession is subjective. You're not finding a specific criteria list, because it does not exist. Yes there are variations on judgements, which is why different refs make different calls on the same play and they need to confer.

I would say that the above is a travel. After the first step he had enough ball control to dribble or pass. If anything, he didnt have control of his body, so he took 3 more steps to get his feet under him for a shot. I wouldn't put to much on the ref not calling it as a rule interpretation. They miss blatant travels every once in a while.

Your example of the tipped fast break is an example of a tipped ball not being a controlled ball. There is a fine line between passing to yourself and tipping it to yourself. Which again is a subjective call.

[YogurtProducer]

Anytime I've bobbled the ball while playing and taken steps it's been a travel. You're fast break example isn't the same because that would technically be a "dribble".

[Johnny Firpo]

Thanks guys, again, I regret citing this specific example. So I guess there is no clear rule on this. I tweeted the official NBA ref account, if they don't answer, I guess I'm just going to let this one go. One last thing, maybe the reason why they don't call a lot of travels on passes received, is exactly this, they don't count the steps until the player gathers the ball, and establishes possession, and since that is quite subjective, I guess there is no clear answer, unless when a player grabs the ball with two hands.

[JellosJigglin]

If they call that a travel then 100% of NBA players travel in 100% of the games they play.