Why Don’t Refs Call Traveling?

The travel is, perhaps, one of the most egregious violations in the game. And although the violation does not directly harm or endanger another player, it does provide an unfair advantage to the team committing the violation when the violation goes uncalled.

And as fans of the NBA, it seems that more-and-more NBA players are traveling during the game, oftentimes without a violation being assessed.

But just why don’t NBA referees call the traveling violation as often?

Below, we are going to discuss and look into just why don’t refs call traveling. Within this article, we will also review just what a travel is, particularly within the NBA and we will discuss whether or not the lack of travel violations has made the NBA a more entertaining and enjoyable league for fans.

What is Traveling in the NBA?

Both in the NBA and in collegiate, high school, and pick-up games across the world, traveling is a universal basketball violation wherein a player holding the ball moves one or both their feet illegally.

This illegal move consists of movement of one or both a players’ feet while in possession of the basketball and without a proper dribble.

And although most commonly done while in movement, a traveling violation may be assessed while a player in possession of the basketball is stationary.

However, more-often-than-not, a traveling violation is most often associated when a player attempts to move with the ball without proper dribbling of the basketball.

This can happen when a player attempts to drive to the basket or when a player establishes, and subsequently, de-establishes a pivot foot. By de-establishing a pivot foot without properly dribbling the basketball, a traveling violation will be assessed.

What Happens When a Basketball Player Travels?

It is important to distinguish between basketball fouls and violations. In basketball, a foul is an infraction of the rules which are more serious than a violation.

Most fouls occur as a result of illegal personal contact with an opponent and/or unsportsmanlike behavior. Fouls can result in a number of penalties, including but not limited to:

• Loss of possession of the ball
• One or more free throws being awarded to the fouled player
• The player committing a foul is “fouled out” and ineligible to continue play
• The player committing a foul is suspended for a period of time

However, a violation, such as a traveling violation, does not result in free throws, a foul being assessed against the player in violation, or a suspension. Rather, with a violation being less egregious than a foul, the simple result is a loss of possession of the ball.

As such, in the NBA, the WNBA, the collegiate and international games, and in pick-up and non-professional leagues, a travel will be simply assessed as a violation, with the result being a loss of possession of the basketball for the play.

What is a Travel in the NBA?

The NBA, being a basketball league of its own, has differing rules and requirements for what is considered a travel.

And the NBA’s definition of a traveling violation, which was updated in 2019 to help eliminate the gap between the rule as written and how it has been applied in NBA games, is as stated in ‘RULE NO. 10: Violations and Penalties‘.

Section XIII—Traveling

A player who receives the ball while standing still may pivot, using either foot as the pivot foot.

A player who gathers the ball while progressing may take (1) two steps in coming to a stop, passing or shooting the ball, or (2) if he has not yet dribbled, one step prior to releasing the ball. A player who gathers the ball while dribbling may take two steps in coming to a stop, passing, or shooting the ball.

The first step occurs when a foot, or both feet, touch the floor after gaining control of the ball.

The second step occurs after the first step when the other foot touches the floor, or both feet touch the floor simultaneously.

A player who comes to a stop on step one when both feet are on the floor or touch the floor simultaneously may pivot using either foot as his pivot. If he jumps with both feet he must release the ball before either foot touches the floor.

A player who lands with one foot first may only pivot using that foot.

A progressing player who jumps off one foot on the first step may land with both feet simultaneously for the second step. In this situation, the player may not pivot with either foot and if one or both feet leave the floor the ball must be released before either returns to the floor.

In starting a dribble after (1) receiving the ball while standing still, or (2) coming to a legal stop, the ball must be out of the player’s hand before the pivot foot is raised off the floor.

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.

A player who falls to the floor while holding the ball, or while coming to a stop, may not gain an advantage by sliding.

A player who attempts a field goal may not be the first to touch the ball if it fails to touch the backboard, basket ring or another player.

A player may not be the first to touch his own pass unless the ball touches his back- board, basket ring or another player.

Upon ending his dribble or gaining control of the ball, a player may not touch the floor consecutively with the same foot (hop).

PENALTY: Loss of ball. The ball is awarded to the opposing team on the sideline, nearest spot of the violation but no nearer the baseline than the foul line extended.

How do Refs Call a Travel?

As an aside, and a general point, a ref or referee can call a travel on any offensive player with possession of the basketball if they misuse possession of the basketball via a drive to the basket or move from a stationary point without proper dribbling of the basketball.

However, just exactly how is a travel called or signaled by a ref?

In the NBA, and in most basketball leagues, the travel signal is completed by a referee placing both hands in a fist position, directly in front of their chest, and making a circular movement with both hands in a clockwise motion.

This universal signal generally indicates that a travel violation has occurred and a loss of possession of the basketball.

So, Why Don’t Refs Call More Travels?

While it is easy to assume that travels and traveling violations don’t occur in the NBA, nothing can be further from the truth. Rather, with elite basketball players frequently attempting to drive to the basket and the rim, a number of traveling violations occur each game, with many of them not being called.

But why?

Below are a few reasons why refs in the NBA don’t call more traveling violations.

• It takes away from the sequence of the game – perhaps the biggest reason why refs don’t call more travels in the NBA is because doing so takes away from the sequence, flow, and highlights of the game. With NBA players often committing a travel while driving to the basket, many refs don’t want to stop the game for a minor infraction.

• Travels can be difficult to determine – while NBA refs are some of the best referees in the world, assessing a traveling violation can be difficult. With players moving quickly during a game, a ref may simply not see a traveling violation unless it is particularly egregious.

• The NBA generally allows for a bit of traveling – while not officially recognized by the NBA, the league and its referees generally allow for a bit of traveling. That is, an additional half or full step will be many times overlooked simply due to the fact that so many players commit the violation. Calling a travel on each possession is simply unfeasible so many refs simply won’t call it.

• Calling a travel ruins the fun – while no fan or player likes being on the receiving end of a travel committed by an offensive player, calling every true travel can ruin the fun of the game. With many casual and avid fans watching the game for entertainment and looking for big plays and dunks, calling a travel repeatedly throughout the game will remove many highlight dunks, which would be a poor business decision for the NBA.