players be tapdancing on my nerves...

[Andreas Dahl]

Ok, here comes a short rant by yours truly:

I was watching the Pistons vs. Cavs game (I'm a bit late) and LeBron came on a breakaway; got the ball, took 1,5 steps; bounced once; took three more steps and then went up for the dunk. I annoyed me like hell. The rules for the league are simple: You can not take more than two steps. If you do, it's against the rules.
Then why is it that the referee never ever calls travelling unless a player takes like 4-5-6 obvious steps? In every NBA game I've watched since as long as I can remember looking for it, players have been taking at least 3 steps, if not more. Just in a high-light I saw Garnett getting the ball, taking one step then settling down, doing some pivoting, then taking another step and then bouncing the ball... It's not right damned. I don't care if it's because it offers more action to the spectators. Rules are rules and they are made to too followed. If you don't follow the rules because they are incorrect or damaging the game, then change the rules; don't just ignore them.

This was seen in the last Olympics a few times when the USA team was playing and being called for travelling a few times. I remember one time in particular; much like the situation above, LeBron came on a breakaway and took three (maybe even four) steps immediately and then went up for the dunk. The referee called a travelling and the entire USA bench went bezerk, even the coach. Indeed the referee could have ignored it and let it slide, but it was against the rules and so he called it, nothing terribly wrong with that...

If you start calling it almost every time you see it, sure it will take away some of the action, but players will learn after a short while that they can't do that. It's a simple matter of adaption; it's not hard at all. So don't say that it takes away the flow of the game or anything like that. If it were to take away the flow of the game, it would break the rules now wouldn't it? Not much of a game when a player can ignore the rules.


Here's a good little article about it:
http://www.sonicscentral.com/heavyd14.html

[Cameron]

I agree with you entirely Dahl. It has become that the NBA is a laughinstock to people in terms of travelling. I actually find it takes away from the entertainment more if I am constantly getting pissed about the lack of calls.

Also it makes it hard when they actually do make a call, because every call is debateable if you only call it sometimes.

TRAVELLING IS ILLEGAL!!!

[#12]

they dont call it right now because they need more high scoring games

[Username123]

I also noticed Lebron taking extra steps, when i was watching them play agianst the raps. First I thought that i counted the steps wrong, then i thought they changed the rule, then i thought i am jus acting stupid. I see this happening a lot these days, i think they should let Lebron take more than 3 steps so we can see some Highlight Dunks

[Matthew]

players be tapdancing on my nerves...

But, judging from your rant, you seem to be more upset with the referee's? They are the ones who don't make the calls...

[Colin]

If I'm not mistaken they did change the rule to "the player doesn't have to dribble for a two-count" so that the refs can get away with not calling it. Too often I see players catch the ball and put one foot down then the other, stand still for a minute, then switch the pivot foot to their strong side and start going at it.

[Andrew]

The downside of calling a lot of travels by the book is that it will slow the game down and cause officials to wave off a few baskets. No one wants to see a spectacular dunk negated by a ticky-tack call. But there's plenty of shuffling and so forth that really should be called.

I've also noticed a few big men getting away with hopping on rebounds. They'll snatch the board then hop, hop, hop without putting the ball on the floor before kicking it out to a teammate or putting it back up for an easy two. It's a travel, albeit a subtle one.

In a similar vein, I think the continuation fouls must be more consistent. Players can sometimes get hacked then take two steps, make a layup and then head to the line for a three point play - the two steps clearly coming after the whistle.

[Andre]

The downside of calling a lot of travels by the book is that it will slow the game down and cause officials to wave off a few baskets. No one wants to see a spectacular dunk negated by a ticky-tack call. But there's plenty of shuffling and so forth that really should be called.

Agreed. But you seem to start from the assumption that NBA players must travel sometimes, when is pretty easy to pay more attention and not travel anymore. I mean, the NBA is a circus with regards to travelling. SOmeone must teach this kids some fundamentals, but untill th referees don't call the infraction, there is no reason for players to start paying attention.

I say, start calling every single travel you see, and most of all, without considering who is committing it. In fact, today if your name is lebron James instead of eddie robinson makes a huge difference. But why?? I don't want Lebron to dunk more just because he's untouchable and can't be called for travelling...it's just embarassing for the league.

And I did get angry during the Olympics when I saw USA Bench and Coach jumping up and surprised for a travelling call.....Aren't they supposed to be part of the elite of basketball? And they don't even know a basic rule like travelling?? They looked so dumb on those days...maybe they really are...

[alexboom]

The downside of calling a lot of travels by the book is that it will slow the game down and cause officials to wave off a few baskets. No one wants to see a spectacular dunk negated by a ticky-tack call. But there's plenty of shuffling and so forth that really should be called.

that reminds me Yinka Dare's career first assist. They put the replay on the jumbotron where everyone could see that the scorer made a travelling The refs didn't whistled it though, Yinka's assists are sacred

[Dogg]

Shut up you raving moron
ok the second is good

[Andrew]

The downside of calling a lot of travels by the book is that it will slow the game down and cause officials to wave off a few baskets. No one wants to see a spectacular dunk negated by a ticky-tack call. But there's plenty of shuffling and so forth that really should be called.

Agreed. But you seem to start from the assumption that NBA players must travel sometimes, when is pretty easy to pay more attention and not travel anymore. I mean, the NBA is a circus with regards to travelling. SOmeone must teach this kids some fundamentals, but untill th referees don't call the infraction, there is no reason for players to start paying attention

Absolutely, the ideal thing to do would be to call the game as it's supposed to be called. But some calls will always be missed...

a) Because referees are human and are subject to human error
b) Waving off a dunk in the open court because of a skipping step that dances the line of travelling (but really could be called) won't sit well with a lot of fans either

I know it sounds like I'm asking for both ends of the scale, but I'm just acknowledging that some things are unlikely to change. A good start would be to call the shuffling and the hopping.

[Yessie]

i love the 1-2 step shaq does every time down low unless he settles for a regular shaq jump shot but it obvious shaq take like a billion steps and maybe 1 out of 10 he gets called for it.

[Andreas Dahl]

Having the referees ignoring it on the open court isn't that bad, but shouldn't the players be able to dunk without taking 3-4 steps?
But I guess that could be the exeption for the good of the spectators.

Two more things that annoyed me when watching the Cavs vs. Pistons game was:
1. The pivot move, nobody seems to be using it right. Their taking 4-5 steps each time their doing it.
2. The little hop-step many big guys seems to be doing. They do a little hop step, then take two more little steps while faking. Not that clear to see, but if you look carefully you can see that it happens a lit of the times.

[MaD_hAND1e]

[color=orange]It has become that the NBA is a laughinstock to people in terms of travelling.

To the extent that they even make fun of it in The Simpsons
(Homer was watching a basketball game and a player just runs with the ball the whole length of the court, then Homer comments "they never call travelling anymore")

The NBA has become a lot more business than basketball, the refs don't call travelling cause it might stop a highlight Dunk or other nice play. It's also imminent in some foul calls, where the ref may wait to see if the shot is made before calling a foul.

[Andreas Dahl]

I'm watching a game from the good old days. It's the Lakers vs. Pistons Game 6 from 1988.
With about two minutes left in the first quarter, there have already been three travelling calls. One here is quite important: Thomas is coming down the lane on a two on one beak-away. He decides to wrap the ball behind the back and then pass it to the other guy. This would have been a great looking play unless it was so that he took three steps and the referee called it immediately. No one got pissed or angry with the referee because they realised that he was just following the rules and it wasn't a big deal, it was the players fault actually.
Ahh, the good old days...

[Dogg]

James collected 23 points, nine rebounds and nine assists but was called for traveling twice down the stretch. He complained to referee Mike Davis and was whistled for a technical foul with 1:20 left.

"I've been doing those moves since I started playing basketball and they've never been a travel," James said. "I've been doing it all year and they call traveling now? I thought they gave an extra step in the NBA."

Ha, guess someone saw the thread

[Colin]

They were all traveling. I can understand why LeBron got mad about the call considering they're never made, but what I couldn't understnad was the announcers saying that they didn't see a travel. LeBron went to do a jump stop and came down one foot at a time instead of all at once. That's a travel you stupid commentators.

[Dogg]

To me it looked like he pro-hopped, jumped again and shot the ball and then landed.But after the pro-hop he jumped with a one-foot gather instead of jumping with two feet.
And that was the travel

OR, I missed something(like a small hop or something)?

[cklitsie]

Another rule that sucks: players can call a time-out at all times when they have the ball...
At the end of the Knicks-Jazz game, (I think) Raja Beel dived to catch a loose ball and grabs it, then when he lies there with the ball his feet come off the ground and back on (which is travelling) but I thought the refs would call it and some of the three Knicks players close to Bell would dive too and get a jump-ball or something like that. But to my big surprise I heard the ref call... a timeout!
In the replay you could see Raja Beel dive for it and when he only juswt touched the ball, he immediately called the timeout.

That's just plain stupid! At the end of the game when you being double-teamed in a corner of the field, you can just call a timeout?