Introduction
Basketball could be a confusing sport for people who are trying to expand their horizons and learn something new. Due to this sometimes-difficult transition, many questions can pop up. One of the most frequently asked questions is whether or not you are able to hold the ball with two hands. The answer to this question is that you can absolutely hold the basketball with two hands!
However, the only catch is that you can’t move with it in both hands. Even if you start to dribble, you can’t pick it up with two hands and then dribble again, it will have to be a complete stoppage. That’s not even mentioning that you can’t dribble the ball with two hands at the same time.
Why Two Hands Can Help
Holding a basketball with two hands can help keep your control over it and reduce the opportunity for the defense to steal it away from you. The lack of mobility when you do so is what makes this an intriguing option. Many professional players hold it with two hands before they start dribbling. For example, you might see somebody receive a pass, then hold it in two hands for a bit before starting their dribble.
The only other time somebody would have it in two hands would be after they stop dribbling, as they can hold it in two hands, pivot around, and find an open teammate to pass it to. You could also say that shooting and attempting layups can count as holding the ball in two hands, though those are really just a split second and then it’s out of your hands completely. The main time that you hold the ball with both hands is when you’re scanning the floor and planning to make a move or pass.
Can This Become A Violation?
Yes, holding the ball with two hands can definitely turn into a violation if you aren’t careful. You aren’t able to hold it with both hands whenever you feel like it, because it can quickly become something worse. A good example of that is when you are in the middle of your dribble. If you are driving down the court with the ball being dribbled in your right hand, then you grab it with both hands as you run before dribbling with your right hand again, it becomes a double dribble. That violation would immediately send the ball to the other team and count as a turnover for you. It could also force you into a travel, because holding the ball with two hands often makes you forget about dribbling.
Many NBA players hold the ball with two hands when there isn’t anybody near them and they get a free dunking opportunity. They hold it with two hands and sprint to the rim to slam it home, but sometimes they take one too many steps towards the rim without dribbling. It’s simply instinctual to move further with the ball in two hands than it is with one, especially if you aren’t as familiar with the sport. Even professional athletes get carried away when it’s in two hands compared to just one.
Dribbling With Two Hands Isn’t Allowed
This section might seem like common sense considering what we’ve already discussed, though it feels critical to include anyways. It is not allowed to start a dribble with two hands. You can hold the ball in two hands before you begin dribbling, but the second that you start, it has to go into only one. Not only will dribbling with two hands get you into trouble with the other team because they can take it away rather easily, but it will also get a violation called against you or your team.
Even if you accidentally dribble with two hands one time in the middle of a possession, it will likely get seen and called for a foul. So, remember, when you’re dribbling the basketball, do everything in your power to keep it controlled with just one hand. You don’t get the courtesy of using both when you’re moving with the basketball.
You Can Catch With Both Hands
If the ball starts coming your way, both offensively and defensively, you are absolutely allowed to catch it with both hands and start moving. You can’t dribble with both hands touching the basketball at the same time.
Though you can catch the ball with two hands, throw it down on the ground and continue your momentum with a one-handed dribble. Again, this does go both ways. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing defense or trying to find open space on offense. The ball can be caught with both hands. It would be a very unfortunate and confusing rule for any professional sports league to implement if you are only able to maintain control of a pass with one hand.
Don’t Hold It Forever
While it’s legal to hold the basketball with two hands and not move, it is not legal to hold it for an abundantly long time. Most professional basketball leagues have a shot clock, where it becomes a violation if you don’t attempt a shot before that timer runs out. If you are just standing there with possession of the ball, not moving, when the shot clock runs down, the violation will be called on you and the other team will get the ball.
Holding with two hands is really just to scan the floor quickly and get a feel for what is going on around it. It’s not an excuse to run down the clock so that the other team isn’t able to get it. There are even some coaches out there that believe no player should be holding the ball longer than eight seconds offensively. Of course, that’s not a rule that goes on for every player across the world, though it does give you some more perspective on what some coaches believe in regarding ball movement and holding onto it for too long.