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Originally posted by missinglink
Enjoy the forum for its professional approach.
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To paraphrase the immortal words of Bugs Bunny, "He don't know us very good, do he?"
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1) By definition six feet, but the difference between being actually closely guarded in 12th grade and sixth grade is huge. Lately I have been allowing my discretion to influence beginning the count rather than my estimate of distance.
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Might as well get used to judging the distance now. By rule, a defender does not need to be "actively guarding" or in a "defensive posture" in order for you to start the closely guarded count. So if your defender is facing you within 6 feet, the ref should be swinging that arm.
As Rich said, 6 feet is a lot more than most people realize. But you do have some help in visualizing how far 6 feet is while you're out on the court. The distance from the free throw line to the outside of the free throw circle is six feet. The radius of the jump circle is six feet. Each lane space is three feet, so two together is just over six feet (if you include the 2 inches for the lane line).
My advice would be to start judging the distance, rather than try to determine if the defender is actually "guarding" the player with the ball. Get used to it now, so it becomes a good habit for later.
And welcome to the forum!!