In order to avoid a traveling violation, a basketball layup must be initiated after the second non-dribbling step. While it is acceptable to shoot a layup after one step, most players try to make use of both available steps before laying the ball up.
The number of steps a player takes may also be determined by whether they are shooting a right-handed or left-handed layup. For a right-handed layup, players typically jump off of their left foot, and vice versa.
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