[just another ref]

Originally Posted by Coach Bill

This is very interesting and something I did not know. We teach our kids when they beat a man off the dribble in the open court to move in front of the defender to cut off the angle and make them go through you. What I'm hearing is that if they successfully do that, and get ahead of the player, it's OK. But, if in the process, or before they get two steps in front, contact is made, then it's a foul on the dribbler. Correct?

By the way, I have never seen this called on the dribbler unless the cutover move included an extended arm or elbow. As such, I would be hesitant to teach my players to "trip" a dribbler that is trying to cut over on them.

The two steps refers to guarding a moving opponent without the ball. To obtain a legal guarding position on an opponent with the ball, or a stationary opponent without the ball, no time or distance is required.