Traveling is one of the most common -- and misunderstood -- rules in all of basketball. The travel rule is intended to prevent players from gaining an advantage by moving with the ball without dribbling.
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If a player, without possession of the ball, slides across the floor to retrieve a loose ball, he is permitted to slide with the ball without being called for a travel.
Heres the official rule. Prefer these over rec league rules that its unclear what they apply to.
Section 5. Traveling
Art. 1. A player shall not travel with the ball�
Art. 2. Traveling occurs when a player holding the ball moves a foot or both
feet in any direction in excess of prescribed limits described in this section�
Art. 3. A player who catches the ball with both feet on the playing court may pivot, using either foot� When one foot is lifted, the other is the pivot foot�
Art. 4. A player who catches the ball while moving or ends a dribble may stop and establish a pivot foot as follows:
a� When both feet are off the playing court and the player lands: 1� Simultaneously on both feet, either may be the pivot foot;
2� On one foot followed by the other, the first foot to touch shall be the
pivot foot;
3� On one foot, the player may jump off that foot and simultaneously land on both, in which case neither foot can be the pivot foot�
b� When one foot is on the playing court:
1� That foot shall be the pivot foot when the other foot touches in a step; 2� The player may jump off that foot and simultaneously land on both,
in which case neither foot can be the pivot foot�
Art. 5. After coming to a stop and establishing the pivot foot:
a� Thepivotfootmaybelifted,butnotreturnedtotheplayingcourt,before the ball is released on a pass or try for goal;
b� The pivot foot shall not be lifted before the ball is released to start a dribble� Art. 6. After coming to a stop when neither foot can be the pivot foot:
a� One or both feet may be lifted, but may not be returned to the playing court, before the ball is released on a pass or try for goal;
b� Neither foot shall be lifted, before the ball is released, to start a dribble�
Art. 7. It is traveling when a player falls to the playing court while holding the ball without maintaining a pivot foot�
I dont think this says you can slide across the floor but maybe theres an alternate interpretation. Seems like same as falling to floor with ball.
