[BillyMac]

4. BLOCK/CHARGE. The obtaining and maintaining of a legal guarding position on a person with and without the ball has been a point of emphasis over the years, but yet, remains one of the most difficult plays to coach and officiate.

A. The basics. To correctly understand the guarding rule, the following points are critical:
1) To obtain an initial guarding position on a player with the ball, the defender must get to the spot first without contact, have both feet touching the floor, and initially face the opponent.
2) Once the initial guarding position has been obtained, the defender may move laterally or at an angle or backwards in order to maintain a legal guarding position. Keep in mind that when a defender obtains an initial position with both feet touching the floor and facing his/her opponent, the defender need not be stationary but may continue to move in order to stay in front of the person with the ball.
3) Once the defender obtains a legal guarding position, the defender may raise his/her hands in a normal stance or may jump vertically within his/her vertical plane.
4) A defender may turn or duck to absorb the shock of imminent contact.
5) A player is never permitted to move into the path of an opponent after the opponent has jumped into the air.
6) A player who extends an arm, shoulder, hip or leg into the path of an opponent and causes contact is not considered to be in a legal guarding position.

B. Guarding a player with the ball. Points to remember when a defender is guarding a player with the ball:
1) Time and distance are of no consequence. If the defender gets to the spot first and is in a legal guarding position, the onus is on the person with the ball.
2) A defender is never permitted to move into an opponent and thus cause contact.
3) If a player with the ball gets his/her shoulders past the front of the torso of the defender and contact occurs, the defender has blocked and a foul must be called. In order for the defender to re-obtain a legal guarding position, all “guarding a person with the ball” criteria must be met.
4) When an offensive player receives a long pass with his/her back turned and places one foot on the floor and crashes into a legally set defender, it is a player-control foul. It seems many officials are calling this a traveling violation, which is incorrect.

C. Guarding a player without the ball. Time and distance are the key factors. The distance allowed depends on the speed in which the offensive player is moving, with the distance never to exceed two strides, regardless of how fast he or she is moving. Once the defender has met the criteria of both feet touching the court and initially facing the opponent, the defender has obtained a legal guarding position and may move the same as if he/she were guarding a player with the ball.

5. FREE-THROW ADMINISTRATION. Over the years, NFHS rules committees have been concerned with an increase in rough play during free throws. There have been several rules changes and Points of Emphasis during this time to address these concerns. Last year, a change was made to move all players up one lane space, leaving the two lane spaces closest to the end line vacant. The change attempted to reduce rough play during free-throw situations, while maintaining acceptable defensive rebounding percentages. The following areas are still of concern and are being emphasized:

A. Lane-space requirements. The first marked lane spaces on each side of the lane, above and adjacent to the neutral-zone marks, shall be occupied by opponents of the free thrower. No teammate of the free thrower shall occupy either of these marked lane spaces. If the offense desires the second spaces, it may have them. If the defense desires the third spaces, it may have them. If a player entitled to the second or third space does not occupy that space, an opponent may be in the space (within the number limitations, four defense and two offense). All officials are responsible for ensuring players are in their proper spaces. The administering official (Lead) should check each space for proper alignment before bouncing the ball to the shooter. If these requirements are not met, see 9-1-9 Penalty.

B. Rough Play. Coaches must not teach players to “lock up” arms along the lane line, nor drive players farther under the basket with brute force. Offensive players in the second position must not be permitted to displace or push the defensive player in the first lane position. In addition, defensive players in the last position should not be permitted to displace the free-throw shooter. Fouls must be called for illegal contact and displacement on free throws, just as they would be for illegal rebounding activity off of any try.

C. Disconcertion. With the space closest to the shooter now occupied, disconcertion is a concern. Of particular concern is when the free throw will become dead (first of two or first two of three). Defensive players often employ tactics which serve no other purpose than to disconcert the shooter during free throws (“boxing out” the free thrower off the free-throw line, waving arms, yelling instructions to teammates, etc.)

D. Other violations. Players are attempting to gain a rebounding advantage by violating the free-throw restrictions and entering the lane early. No player shall enter, leave or touch the court outside the marked lane space (3 feet by 3 feet). Officials must review and enforce the rules regarding offensive and defensive free-throw violations.

E. Officials’ Positions. Officials must be positioned appropriately to administer free-throw situations properly. In a crew of three, the Lead official should be approximately 4 feet to the nearer lane line and well off the end line for all free throws. The center should be halfway between the nearer free-throw lane and the sideline, at approximately the free-throw line extended – a step up or down to get the best angle to observe the opposite two top spaces and the free throw shooter. The Trail official should be at approximately the 28-foot mark and just inside the tableside boundary line – not at or near the division line!

COMMENTS ON THE 2009-10 RULES REVISIONS

REPLAY PERMITTED AT THE CONCLUSION OF STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES CONTESTS (2-2-1 NOTE): A state association may now permit game or replay officials to utilize available replay equipment to determine the outcome of a state championship series game. When a try for goal occurs at the expiration of time in the fourth quarter or any overtime period (0:00 on the game clock), replay equipment may be used to determine if the try should be counted, and if so, if it was a two- or a three-point goal. Individual state associations will determine if the equipment will be used, at what tournament round(s) and by whom. This same technology is already being utilized after state contests by the media and being showcased on the Internet. State administrators should also be permitted to use this same technology, if available and desired, to assist in making the correct call when the outcome of the game hangs in the balance and a team has no further opportunities to overcome a critical error.

RED/LED LIGHT PERMITTED TO END QUARTER/EXTRA PERIOD (1-14; 5-6-2): When a red light behind the backboard or an LED light on the backboard is present, it is permitted to signal the expiration of time in the quarter or extra period. If no red/LED light is present, the audible timer’s signal will continue to signal the expiration of time. The change permits equipment currently found in some facilities to be utilized rather than ignored. All other end-of-period rules remain intact. During their pregame responsibilities, game officials should determine if red/LED lights are present in order to adjudicate end-of-period situations properly.