What Is a “Travel” In Basketball?

Traveling in basketball is a violation that occurs when a player with ball possession makes more than two steps or moves both feet without dribbling the ball. 

The official rule is that the pivot foot cannot touch the ground before the player passes the ball or attempts to shoot.

The penalty for traveling is the game resulting in a turnover.

One of the key rules in basketball is that the pivot foot, which is the foot that stays in place while the other foot can move, cannot touch the ground before the player passes the ball or attempts to shoot. This is to prevent players from gaining an unfair advantage by moving their pivot foot before they release the ball.

In the official NBA rulebook, stated in section XIII, point b.:

“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.”