2 hands applies to dribbling. Control is the rule for a loose ball.

The NBA Board of Governors has approved new language in the NBA rule book that governs traveling violations. The revision will not change the substance of the rule but will help eliminate the gap between the rule as written and how it has been applied in NBA games.

The official NBA rule book will now have a section that formally defines the “gather.” The text of the rule will also be revised to provide additional clarity regarding how many steps a player may take after the gather occurs.

The changes to the rule book are below:

Definition of the Gather

The following definition of the gather will be added to the definitions section of the playing rules:

For a player who receives a pass or gains possession of a loose ball, the gather is defined as the point where the player gains enough control of the ball to hold it, change hands, pass, shoot, or cradle it against his body.
For a player who is in control of the ball while dribbling, the gather is defined as the point where a player does any one of the following:
Puts two hands on the ball, or otherwise permits the ball to come to rest, while he is in control of it;
Puts a hand under the ball and brings it to a pause; or
Otherwise gains enough control of the ball to hold it, change hands, pass, shoot, or cradle it against his body.


Incorporating the Gather into the Traveling Rule

The gather will be expressly incorporated into the traveling rule to clarify how many steps a player may take after he receives the ball while progressing or completes his dribble:

A player who gathers the ball while progressing may (a) take two steps in coming to a stop, passing or shooting the ball or (b) if he has not yet dribbled, one step prior to releasing the ball to start his dribble.


A player who gathers the ball while dribbling may take two steps in coming to a stop, passing or shooting the ball.


The first step occurs when a foot, or both feet, touch the floor after the player gathers the ball.