Traveling, double dribble and other violations

A violation is a rule break that isn't contact — it simply gives the ball to the other team. You'll hear these constantly.

Ball-handling violations

• Traveling — moving your feet illegally without dribbling (the classic "took too many steps").
• Double dribble — dribbling, stopping, then dribbling again, or dribbling with two hands.
• Carrying — turning your hand under the ball mid-dribble.

Time and space violations

• Shot-clock violation — failing to attempt a shot in time (see the scoring lesson).
• 3 seconds — an offensive player can't camp in the painted area near the basket for more than three seconds.
• Backcourt ("over and back") — once the offense crosses midcourt, it can't bring the ball back behind it.

Why care?

Violations are turnovers — possessions lost without a shot. A team that commits a lot of them gives away scoring chances. Turnover rate is one of the core "four factors" that predict who wins, which we unpack in Reading the Game.