[BktBallRef]

There are two schools of thought on this play.

The first one is taht as long as the defender stays within 6 feet of the dribbler after having established a legal guarding poistion, the count continues. It doesn't matter if the dribbler has beaten the defender on a drive to the basket. Pardon me but that's duck poop!

The second thought is that the count stops when the dribbler has beaten the defender to the basket and the defender is in pursuit, the count ends. I agree with this.

Here's why! When a defender is no longer in the path, between a the dribbler and the basket, you can no longer have a closely guarded count. Look a definition of guarding. Notice those three little words, "in the path"? Those three little words tell you that a player who isn't in a guarding position can't be closely guarding.

Now, for all those nay sayers out there, let me say this. There is no other clearly defined written rule on this play. That is, there's nothing to say that the count stops or the count continues. The rulebook doesn't spell out every single thing than occurs on the basketball court. If it did, it would be as big as an encyclopedia. The writers of the rulebook expect us to apply the rules with common sense and within the spirit and intent of the rules. Why does a defender guard a player with the ball? So he won't score. To apply the 5 second count to this sitch is to be a rule book litigater.

This came up at a local clinic this year. I emailed Dick Knox, Chairman of the NF Basketball Rules Committee and deputy director of the NCHSAA with the play. He agreed that the count should end when the defender is no longer in a guarding position. In fact, he was very adamant.

So let the debate begin!