Basketball Rules: Traveling

Series Summary

Basketball, b-ball, hoops—these are all names for one of the most popular games in America. Whether it’s professional play in the NBA, college games, the local high school team, a friendly round of one-on-one, or an outdoor street game at the playground court, basketball is exciting and fast-paced, pitting player against player and skill against skill. Having strong fundamentals like dribbling, passing, and shooting is the key to the success of any aspiring player or team. Though flashy dunks, trick shots, and off the wall dribbling antics are fun to watch and have their place, they often create a “superstar” mentality that ultimately hurts the team if not put in check. What makes basketball great is the combination of individual talent and team strategy, ultimately producing a match that’s sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.

In this free sports video series, learn how to play the game of basketball. Our expert, Kini Knox, will coach you in some of those ever-important fundamentals of the defensive part of the game. Get tips on how to stretch and warm up properly, how to defend full and half court and how to use distraction as a defense as well. Use the techniques in these videos and improve your game today, whether you’re a beginner or intermediate basketball player.

Video Transcript

"Now, we would like to discuss ball handling penalties. The first one that I will discuss is traveling; the basic traveling call. OK, there's many different ways to travel. Anytime you're moving without dribbling the ball and with the ball in your hand, is a travel. For example, running with the ball is a travel. Anytime that you are moving and you have the ball, you should be dribbling it. So, if you're picking it up and taking more than two steps, it's a travel. Palming the ball, as well, is a travel. What palming the ball is this, holding it upright in the palm of your hand. This is a travel because you're holding the ball; it's not a consistent dribble. Your hands should always be on top, so this is a carry. Sliding across the floor, like if you are going for a loose ball, you catch it and you're sliding on the floor with it, then that's a travel. You can get called for that. So, there's many different types of penalties. If you are dribbling, you are going towards the goal and you take more than two steps for a layup shot, that a travel. You should only take two steps, like we discussed earlier. Anything more than that will be called a travel."