[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

I too played H.S. basketball in the "no touch" era and my coach was also a basketball official. We were taught not to touch your opponent.

You do not need to touch your opponent to find him. You find your opponent by seeing him. The major reason we have rough play, especially in the post, is the unecessary touch of opponents. A1 touches or puts his hands on B1, B1 does not want A1's hands on him, so B1 slaps A1's hands away from him and the game of pattycake and worse is on.

A player does not need to touch or feel for his opponent. Especially if A1 is setting a legal stationary screen out of B1's vision. B1 gains an unfair advantage when he feels for A1 to avoid contact with A1.

I tell A1 only once not to touch and A1 is usually the only player on Team A I have to tell because the next time A1 touches a player I call a foul and everybody on the both teams get the idea. I never warn for hand checking fouls. The is a no brainer.