# B-Ball question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 19, 2001, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-ball-question/65896 "2001-05-19T08:04:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gadgetgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c5a1d2/32.png) [@gadgetgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gadgetgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-ball-question/65896/1 "2001-05-19T08:04:09Z")
OK, maybe its because I’ve been out of Chicago for a while. Or maybe its because the Bulls SUCK these days. Or maybe its because the fans really like those big slam dunks that MJ used to do. But (to get to the point here) is it me or has the NBA sofened its rules on traveling? I see all these guys make these running leaps towards the basket ala MJ and I yell, “he’s traveling!!” at my TV but the refs do nothing. The players take 3 maybe 4 steps without bouncing the ball, I just don’t understand. Did I miss some change in the rules? When did this happen and why didn’t I get the memo? ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-ball-question/65896/2 "2001-05-19T10:51:45Z")
This isn’t new, as far as I can tell. Magic Johnson was the guy I first noticed it with. (My friend and I, when we were teenagers playing b-ball in the driveway, used to take 10-15 steps–a bit of an exaggeration, but not much–and announce that we were Magic driving to the hoop.) I’m sure it goes further back than that. Refs and league officials probably figure (incorrectly, in my case)that fans want to see rules loosened up to keep the game interesting. This is partially why I haven’t watched an NBA game in years. ---
**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-ball-question/65896/3 "2001-05-19T15:43:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gadgetgirl \* > \*\*I see all these guys make these running leaps towards the basket ala MJ and I yell, “he’s traveling!!” at my TV but the refs do nothing. \*\* That’s because they can’t hear you. You’re yelling at the TV, not them. You need to understand that. 🙂 Don’t bother throwing the remote control at them, either, you’re liable to ruin a perfectly good TV. [sub]Sorry, I had to do this.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Morrison\_s\_Lament](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Morrison\_s\_Lament](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morrison_s_Lament)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-ball-question/65896/4 "2001-05-19T16:44:40Z")
One of my favorite all time dunks is by Shawn Kemp, mid 90’s I think, he was pretty new to the league at the time. However, I counted at least five steps, I have friends that say six and seven respectively! Oh, and don’t get me started on the various “second” violations. When was the last time you saw three or ten (fifteen even?) second foul called? Heck, it’s been so long I forget which amount of seconds is what. — G. Raven ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-ball-question/65896/5 "2001-05-19T18:07:31Z")
If NBA (or even NCAA) officials called travelling everytime they could, there would be a lot of whistles. As for the counts, the only one that is ever openly flouted is the three-second rule. Keep in mind, that the three second count starts over once the ball is shot. The 10 seconds in the backcourt rule is rarely a problem in the NBA as few teams press in the backcourt. The rule will change to 8 seconds next year. NBA officials can use the 24-second clock to determine if a 10-second violation has occurred. College officials keep the count themselves. There are also 3-second rule violations on defense, which are way too confusing to explain. Fortunately, most of them are being tossed out next year. ---
**Author:** ![DynoSaur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DynoSaur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DynoSaur)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-ball-question/65896/6 "2001-05-19T18:26:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BobT \* > \*\* > There are also 3-second rule violations on defense, which are way too confusing to explain. Fortunately, most of them are being tossed out next year. \*\* Are you sure about this, Bob? I thought they were _adding_ the 3-second rule for defenders next year, as sort of a trade-off for allowing zone defenses. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-ball-question/65896/7 "2001-05-19T18:38:14Z")
No, there is a rule. If anyone can make of sense of it, here is an example from the official rules of the NBA. > [@](#): > > a. If a weakside offensive player is positioned in the outside posted-up area (4), his defender may be positioned in the outside lane (2), posted-up lane (3) or the out-side posted-up area (4) with no time limit. He may flash into the inside lane (1) for a tight 2.9 seconds but must re-establish a position with both feet out of the inside lane to be legally out. I _think_ this means that if an offensive player on the weakside (i.e. the side where the ball isn’t) is standing outside the key, his defender can’t be standing inside the key for more than 2.9 seconds. I think. As for the offensive three seconds, not only does it start over on a shot, but players who receive the ball in the key at the count of three are allowed to drive to the basket and shoot or immediately pass the ball and try to get out, so often they look like they will be in for five or six seconds. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-ball-question/65896/8 "2001-05-19T22:20:37Z")
Quoth **BobT** : > [@](#): > > If NBA (or even NCAA) officials called travelling everytime they could, there would be a lot of whistles. If they called travelling every time that they could, most players would stop travelling. It’s funny, but that’s the same excuse my ninth-grade gym teacher used for not interfering in the riots disguised as basketball games. ---
**Author:** ![DynoSaur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DynoSaur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DynoSaur)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-ball-question/65896/9 "2001-05-19T23:28:46Z")
Ah…that’s the old illegal defense rule, I guess. I see why it was never called consistently, now. I think the rule change has simply put the same restriction on the defensive players as there was on the offensive players…ie, no more than three seconds in the lane. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2001, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-ball-question/65896/10 "2001-05-20T00:14:03Z")
**Chronos** sayeth > [@](#): > > If they called travelling every time that they could, most players would stop travelling . And every viewer would soon turn their tv to _anything else_. I haven’t watched the NBA since the early 1960’s. Yes, it’s entertainment. No, it it is no longer basketball. Basketball is still being played(marginally) in college hoops. Is there any other sport/game that has trivialized itself as has basketball? I doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2001, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-ball-question/65896/11 "2001-05-20T00:32:02Z")
If every penalty were called in hockey, it would make for very long games with lots of power plays. Holding could be called nearly every play in the NFL. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2001, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-ball-question/65896/12 "2001-05-20T00:39:42Z")
**BobT** Good response. I guess it must be more visible in the NBA. Is that the difference? ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2001, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-ball-question/65896/13 "2001-05-20T00:43:25Z")
Not many people watch hockey as compared to basketball and the holding calls in the NFL are committed by the linemen, whom we aren’t watching very closely. However, in a basketball game, you have to be blind to not notice that the guy with the ball is travelling. ---
**Author:** ![DRY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DRY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DRY)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2001, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-ball-question/65896/14 "2001-05-20T06:41:44Z")
Yes, and aside from the various travelling and three second violations that aren’t called, there’s the carrying over that Magic Johnson did, oh, about every time he dribbled the ball up from the backcourt (watch an ESPN classic game involving the Lakers and you’ll see what I mean). By the way, there was a pretty flagrant basket interference non-call against David Robinson (on a tip in) in today’s Spurs-Lakers game. Turned out not to affect the outcome, at least.