Double Dribble
A basketball violation for dribbling with both hands at once, or resuming a dribble after having stopped.
Definition
A double dribble is called in two situations: when a player dribbles the ball with both hands simultaneously, or when a player ends a dribble by catching or palming the ball and then starts to dribble again. Either action is a ball-handling violation, and possession is turned over to the opposing team.
The rule keeps ball control fair and continuous — once a dribbler picks the ball up, they must pass or shoot rather than begin a new dribble. It is closely related to carrying, where the hand travels too far under the ball during a single dribble, and to travelling, which concerns the feet rather than the dribble.
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Rules
- Double dribbleA basketball violation for dribbling with two hands at once, or for dribbling again after picking up the ball.
- TravelingA basketball violation for moving illegally with the ball without dribbling it.
- Two-bounce ruleA pickleball rule requiring both the serve and the return to bounce once before players may hit the ball out of the air.
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- Content updated
- 2026-09-01
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