Thu Nov 11, 2004, 11:51am
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Official Forum Member
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Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 9,466
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Re: Re: Re: Re: What is right about a player being OOB
Quote:
Originally posted by coachz_216
Quote:
Originally posted by rainmaker
Quote:
Originally posted by coachz_216
This rule does creates a situation that is unfair for the defender (by rule). Defenders play in a position with their feet wider than shoulder width apart, butt down, "head on ball". This means that their stance is wider (laterally) than an offensive player (if you choose to ignore this reality, then I'm not sure if you can understand the rest of this). As they are guarding a dribbler, heading towards a boundary, their lead foot is going to reach the line before the offensive player. This is "textbook", perfect legal guarding position.
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Actually, this ISN"T legal defense. Feet need to be at roughly the same width as the shoulders, wider is not legal. And I can't see that it would be so difficult to just glance down and see whether my foot is on the line or not. Even if the defender leaves as much as 6" there's no way the dribbler is going to get through legally. I can't see that this rule really inhibits a defender too badly.
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First, it's not illegal for a defender to have his feet wider than shoulder width apart. If it were then ALL good defenders would be illegal all the time. Proper defensive technique has feet wider than shoulder width (actually, for some players, depending on their physical abilities, the wider--the better. Every good coach teaches "low & wide" in some way, shape, or form if they teach good defensive technique). It is true that contact with the knees, legs, etc, that are outside the frame of their body is a foul...hence it is important that a defender be allowed to move laterally (without concern for where their feet are) so as to maintain their body in front of the offensive player--not just an extended leg.
Second, Rule 10.6.2 states "...If a dribbler, without contact, sufficiently passes an opponent to have head and shoulders in advance of that opponent, the greater responsibility for subsequent contact is on the opponent..." If a defensive player, properly taught, is in perfect defensive position, playing in a textbook, defensive stance, and stops with his foot just short of a boundary (trying to abide by this ridiculous rule), there is more than adequate room for a skilled dribbler to take a line directly over his outstretched leg and "...have head and shoulders in advance of that opponent..."
Again--a poorly thought out rule that creates an impossible situation for a defender--even if he is doing everything perfectly!
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Coach -- I'm a little puzzled by your assertions. I've seen a lot of really good defense without the legs being wider than the shoulders. I'm not sure wider is better in every case. Furthermore, as to legality, you're right that it's not illegal to have the legs spread clear into the splits as long as there's no contact. But around here we are instructed to define the wide leg spread as tripping, if the leg is the only contact. Also, defense is not responsible for any contact should defender have legal guarding position and be less than three feet from the line. Any contact is PC or nothing. Lastly, I'm having trouble seeing a defender maintaining a legal position with his leg so outstretched that the dribbler "hurdles over" it,and I'm having trouble seeing a dribbler with enough moxie to pull that off. It seems to me that a defender with feet set right at shoulder width facing dribbler, one foot maybe three-six inches from sideline, is pretty solid defense. Stepping on the line doesn't help the position in any way.
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