If you shoot an airball and are the 1st to touch the ball again, isnt that travelling?

Question

I moved to Utah a couple years ago, and have played/coached/reffed basketball religiously for my entire life. I hooked up with a group of guys of varying skill levels and we play 3 mornings a week @ 6am. They are all fans of NCAA and NBA hoops. A few of them say that if you shoot an airball, but that it was a "legitimate shot", you can grab the "rebound". They will go up for a reverse layup and miss everything, and then grab the ball and put it in. To me, thats a travel. They claim this is some new rule.

Utah is strange anyway, they have no shot clock for high school basketball (teams hold the ball at halfcourt for minutes in the 2nd and 3rd quarters with a 5 point lead), and players cannot enter the lane on a free throw until the ball HITS THE RIM. Weak.

So, I think their "rule" is bogus. Refs, especially in basketball, are rarely called upon to make "judgement" calls, as in "Was that a LEGITIMATE shot or not?"

What do you think? Have you heard of this "rule"?

Answer 1

yes, its traveling no matter what way you look at it

Answer 2

yes thats traveling

Answer 3

It's only traveling when the person who airballs it, touches it again

Answer 4

yes it is called air traveling

Answer 5

Are they cathing the ball and shooting it back at the basket before there feet hit the ground.  I mean when they do the reverse lay up are they jumping in the air to put the ball back in the hoop without touching the ground.

Answer 6

it's definitely traveling in the NBA but its different in any other league. if the officials decide it was an actual shot, you can retrieve your own airball.

Answer 7

It's traveling.  the "legitimate shot"  rule existed in High School only and for a very short period of time.  They got ride of it just as fast because there was to much discrepancy whether or not it was a "legitimate shot" or a pass to ones self.  This rule has not existed for twenty years.  I used to Officiate HS Basketball in Northern Calif.

Calif. players cannot enter the lane until the free throw hits the rim.

Nor Cal

HS Coach