NCAA Basketball Rules for Traveling

The rules for traveling, or illegally moving with the basketball, in NCAA college basketball are essentially the same as in most organized forms of the game. There can be some minor differences between the college and pro game, particularly when it comes to establishing a pivot foot, but the basic traveling rules apply.

  1. Dribbling

    • A player cannot take more than one step while possessing the ball without dribbling it, or bouncing the ball off the floor. Dribbling must consist of immediately bouncing the ball back between the hand and floor; the player can't grab hold and noticeably carry it for even a brief moment. Dribbling must also occur with an open hand; the player cannot punch the ball with a closed fist or intentionally kick the ball.

    Pivoting

    • A player can pivot off of one foot while holding the ball. If the player receives the ball while standing on both feet, or lands on both feet while catching the ball in midair, he can establish either foot as the pivot one. If the player lands on one foot, or takes one step with the other foot on the ground, that foot is the pivot one. A player who catches the ball on one foot can jump off that foot and immediately land on both; however, he then cannot pivot at all.

    Double Dribble

    • Once a player begins dribbling and then stops, that player cannot begin dribbling a second time. The player must shoot the ball or pass it to a teammate in order to begin moving again. Should the player have the ball knocked away and then recover it, or if the player releases the ball to have it bounce off something or someone in play and recover it, the player can begin dribbling again.

    Up and Down

    • A player cannot jump in the air with both feet and land without releasing the ball by passing or shooting. A player also cannot release the ball and catch it without it striking, bouncing or otherwise coming off someone or something that is within the field of play.