[dan74]

SITUATION:

A group of players from both teams are bunched together in the middle of the court, just inside the division line of team A's frontcourt, when B1 steals the ball at the division line near the sideline and begins a fast break. B1 has a slight head start.

The group of players turn and bolt toward B's basket. B2 breaks from the group first and is about one-two steps ahead of A1, with players on both sides of A1 while running.

As the group has the angle on B1 and are closing the gap, B2 hits the breaks and jump stops in front of A1, causing A1 to collide into B2's back. There was about a strides distance between them when B2 jump stopped, and players on both sides of A1, so she didn't have any time to stop and couldn't change directions without running into somone else.

RULES:

4-40-Art. 5: "When screening a moving opponent, the screener must allow the opponent time and distance to avoid contact. The distance need not be more than two strides."

4-40-Art. 6: "When screening an opponent who is moving in the same path and direction as the screener is moving, the opponent is responsible for contact if the screener slows or stop."

QUESTION

Does Art. 5 also apply to Art. 6? I understand, as in Art. 6, that "the opponent is responsible if the screener slows or stops," but does the screener have to "allow the opponent time and distance to avoid contact," as is written in Art. 5?


I hope everything makes OK sense.

Thanks for your input!