When a violation occurs, you will always hear the referee blow their whistle and raise an open hand in the air before signalling the violation. The open hand in the air signals a dead ball. The referee then gives their signal, and then the ball is taken out of bounds to resume play.

A violation will always be signaled by a referee blowing their whistle and raising an open hand in the air before the referee blows his whistle and signals that the violation has occurred. A dead ball is signaled by the open hand in the air.

Referee Basketball Violations Signals Walking or traveling (not bouncing the ball while walking) Illegal or double dribble Carrying or Palming the ball Over and back (half-court violation) Five second violation