Held Ball does not equal dual possession. But what is a Held Ball then? Let's review the rule.

Welcome to another segment of Rule Review covering plays involving held ball. This video is dedicated to educating basketball officials on the proper way to rule on the held ball. Watching actual videos of held ball situations, marked to emphasized rules, help officials learn faster and retain the information better. We can all learn together by continually discussing the rules and as they are written in the NFHS rules book and using actual high school basketball videos reinforces that learning.
In this segment of Rule Review, all video clips we reference to highlight the held ball are high school games and involve different aspects to improving your ability to successfully recognize situations that contribute to a possible held ball from occurring.
Video #1
- After a ball is knocked loose by a defender, several players fall to the floor in an attempt to gain control of the ball. The official ultimately rules a held ball but if you look closer, the defender dives into his opponent contacting him in the head. This contact should be ruled illegal and a foul should be called.
Video #2
- A try for goal is missed and when the rebounder comes down with it, his opponent grabs the ball as well. When both players tug on it for awhile the offensive team eventually pulls it away from his opponent and play continues on. This play was correctly ruled as a legal play. Remember, a held ball does not occur simply because there is dual possession. As long as there is not undue roughness players should be allowed to struggle with each other for control.
Video #3
- After another rebound a ball gets tied up between to opponents. This time one of the players yanks the ball away causing the official to call a foul on the defender. But if you look closer, the foul only occurred because the ball was pull so hard it caused contact that would not have normally happened without the undue roughness.
Video #4
- When a player shoots the ball he is met by a defender blocking his shot and preventing him from releasing the ball. Both officials come in and signal a held ball occurred. The ball was actually knocked loose from possession negating the held ball rule because how can a player be prevented from releasing a ball that they do not have possess?
Watching video clips is a good way to stay connected to the skill of officiating basketball but true education and learning can more effectively be attained when each video is annotated with diagrams and shading to point out key teaching points.
The Officials Institute, and the Rule Review segment, creates videos that don't leave you guessing about whether there was a foul, violation or not. Even though we cannot officiate in slow motion or freeze frames, by watching and reviewing video video in this fashion, we are able to "retrain our brain" so we can start seeing plays more accurately when we do see them in real time and increase our ability to get the call right.
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All rules referenced in this video are taken from the official rules book provided by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). To find out more about the NFHS, you can visit them at nfhs.org/

[@donaldyum8359]

I am surprise there is only 213 likes before mine added. Well explained and informative. Pls keep up the good job guys!

[@OfficialsInstitute]

Thank you for watching.

[@johnzumph9363]

Very good video

[@OfficialsInstitute]

Thanks

[@abaird1982]

A question for you, I play a lot of old man ball with a group where they got a few ground rules to prevent injury, like no diving for a ball, so today me and another guy got a kind of dual possession situation on a loose ball, and before it could get too intense, I called for a held/jump ball, then another person claimed I had called it too fast, so the question is, does length of time of dual possession matter? I grew up hearing three seconds, but I have also heard to avoid contention it is better to call it faster.

[@OfficialsInstitute]

Many think that there simply need to be two players both with their hands on the ball and that is simply not the case. The rules states: "Opponents have their hands so firmly on the ball that control cannot be obtained without undue roughness." So, just because there is "dual possession" doesn't mean it's a held ball. Only if you think things are getting rough, or about to get rough, should you rule a held ball. Does that help?

[@abaird1982]

@@OfficialsInstitute It does, thank you for the reply.

[@NoName-ws9qv]

Just call it right away like we do if its old man ball no-one needs to get hurt

[@RedDefender77]

Hellor sir. I have a question. During an offensive player's drive attempt and after he gathers the ball, can you touch the ball, trying to steal it or prevent him for releasing/shooting it? I mean to have a constant contact with the ball after he gathers. (holding him down on the ground as a result too)

[@OfficialsInstitute]

Touching the ball is always legal.

[@RedDefender77]

@@OfficialsInstitute Τhank you very much, sir!

[@abdelkaderferradj1751]

Didnt answer my question ... When two pkayers are fighting for the held ball should they move their feet freely or must the pivot foot be fixed

[@OfficialsInstitute]

The feet are irrelevant as players both firmly have their hands on the ball thus there is technically no player control.

[@abdelkaderferradj1751]

@@OfficialsInstitute i really think there must be a fixed pivot when standing but when they're on the ground i guess not.

[@JuliusSDeLaCruz]

If Player A has the ball and Player B comes from behind and grabs the ball without any illegal contact is that allowed and/or will that result in a jump all?

[@OfficialsInstitute]

Does player B take the ball away? Or is there a struggle?

[@JuliusSDeLaCruz]

@@OfficialsInstitute Doesn’t take the ball away. No struggle. (Is there an official rule number/book that addresses this?)

[@OfficialsInstitute]

@@JuliusSDeLaCruz if there is no illegal contact then there is no foul or violation.

[@JuliusSDeLaCruz]

@@OfficialsInstitute thank you. is there a section in the official NBA rule book that addresses this type of question?

[@steveellenbecker8775]

After gaining possession in video 2, it looks like the player traveled.

[@OfficialsInstitute]

Thank you for your observations. This player may have traveled in this clip but since this video is focused on the held ball situations we have no comments on this specific action.

[@Insertor]

Held ball mean when 2 opposite players hold the ball? I don’t understand

[@OfficialsInstitute]

No. Two people holding the ball is NOT a held ball. It is only when control cannot be obtained without undue roughness.

[@alenbaby1690]

I need about stepping🙏

[@OfficialsInstitute]

Thank you for watching.

[@marticusquarles3803]

I have a question. Should it be a jump ball, let's say. Say the game has 5 seconds left in the 4th Quarter, one team is up 2 and the other team is down 2. The team that's up 2, has the ball with an inbound pass up front on the sideline (No full court inbound pass). The team gets the inbound pass in to their player successfully (best free throw shooter obviously), to have the chance to go to the line for 2. After the inbound success, the player is standing neutral, with the ball tucked in or ball covered (ball is not exposed to contact from defenders). 2 defensive players approaches (which is obvious) the player and is hacking him. Remember. Neither defensive player can get to the ball, because the offensive player has the ball tucked or covered. So when the player tucking the ball, is the call going to go against the offensive player (offense) for tucking the ball in or is it going to be called a foul on the defensive player (defense)? Will this be called a jumpball, if the defensive player isn't able to get to the ball, being that both arms are fully covering the ball by the offensive player?

[@OfficialsInstitute]

Tough question to answer without seeing the play

[@marticusquarles3803]

@@OfficialsInstitute ok. Did you watch the lakers vs grizzlies game friday? That what my question was going off of. It was at the end of the game, the inbound pass play was setup for desmond bane and he stripped from his blind spot. Me personally i feel like he fouled before dennis Schroeder stripped him. I felt like he had the ball exposed to where it get stripped. I feel he should've had the ball covered

[@NoName-ws9qv]

What about at 5:10 when the pivot foot is lifted and they both dance around with hands on the ball. Isnt that a travel?

[@OfficialsInstitute]

When both players are tugging at the ball, neither is considered “in control” and therefore cannot violate the traveling rule.

[@allmusicfan88]

On the last one, to me #15 white should have been called for a player control foul for clearing out before he shot his first attempt.

[@OfficialsInstitute]

You are correct, however, since this video is focused on the Held Ball, we have no comment on this preceding action.

[@allmusicfan88]

@@OfficialsInstitute I know, I was just letting out my true feeling as I watched it! ha ha ha ha :)

[@bidiibrahim2934]

Be clear

[@OfficialsInstitute]

Ok

[@colin0516]

i just got a held ball violation in 2k21 and had to google it had no idea it existed

[@colin0516]

For context: My teammate passed me the ball outside the perimeter, and before I had a chance to begin my dribble a defender got his hands on the ball, too. After no more than 2 or 3 seconds, the play was stopped due to a "held ball turnover". I know it's only a basketball video game, but I was almost 100% positive the call should've been a jump ball.

[@OfficialsInstitute]

Thanks for watching.

[@eleazarenriquez]

Penalties of intentional foul on a successful try

[@OfficialsInstitute]

Thank you for watching

[@thomasplatteborze7296]

Last Play Was Just A Legal Block 100% if The Off. Player Came Down On The Floor With The Ball Then A Jump Ball Would Have Occurred !

[@OfficialsInstitute]

Appreciate your comments

[@thomasplatteborze7296]

I Came Up With My "1 Tug Rule "! Try To Let A Player Take The Ball Away 1st ! Have A Paitent Girls Kids Games Even More So !

[@OfficialsInstitute]

Good thoughts

[@thomasplatteborze7296]

100% A Foul In Football Maybe Legal 😅

[@OfficialsInstitute]

Thanks for watching

[@uncklefrankmoore4540]

In all of the examples in this video, the ball handler is being fould by the defense by the defense reaching in and holding. The last cexample we can clearly see the left arm of the defender grab the O across the chest. This happens all to often and the officials dont call it earlier in the game, so late in the game , when things get chippy, they cant really call it and it hasnt been called all game.. where is the video on what a foul is. And double dribbling. Guys are now, in 3threat position, touching the ball to the floor with both hands on the ball before using a dribble. Is this a double dribble?

[@OfficialsInstitute]

Touching the ball to the floor while holding it is not considered a dribble.

[@kristel5560]

hi sir, thank u for sharing videos about basketball, this really help me a lot in my reporting in P.E subject🤍

[@OfficialsInstitute]

You are most welcome