[Rbn3]

There is, in fact, a difference in wording between the 2003-04 and 01-02 and 02-03 Points of Emphasis In 02-03 and 01-02, the section on handchecking was headed "hands off", in 03-04 it is just "handchecking." As I read them they all convey the spirit of "hands off".

Of course, I am not claiming "hands off" means "no touching." Incidental touching not intended to gain an advantage or resulting in advantage and particularly off-ball incidental touches are almost always ignored in practice and are addressed and defined in the rules. In 2002, for example (page 69 of NFHS Rules, under "Points of Emphasis") the statement appears: "The measuring up of an opponent (tagging) is handchecking, is not permitted, and is a FOUL [emphasis in original]." It also refers to both offensice and defensive players - so obviously they are not meaning the ball ahndler. In 03-04 they speak of "jabbing" instead of "tagging" and they refer also to continuous touching, but there is no change in the rule. The rules do not use the words "dribbler" "ball handler" "perimeter player" etc., and they do not distinguish where on the floor the touching occurs. In 03-04 they added the phrase "guidelines for teaching and officiating." The fact that off-ball touching, tagging, etc is rarely called is partly the fact that officials watch the ball, so alot of off-ball shenanigans go on.

In the 01-02 book (page 68, 4-A "Hands off") is the statement: "Hand checking is not incidental contact; it gives a tremendous advantage to the person illegally using his hands."

Rule Section 4-27 is the definition of "incidental contact" (p 34-35 of the 01-02 rules - I don't have the most recent book). Locating the position of an opponent by tagging, touching, hand checking, or what ever you want to call it, is not contained in the permitted incidental contacts. (Again, the POE explicitly declares hand checking not incidental). The closest applicable article is is Art. 3: "Similarly, contact which does not hinder the opponent from participating in normal defensive or offensive movements should be considered incidental." The use of the hands by touching, tagging, handchecking to locate the opponent is obviously intended to gain an advantage and "hinder the opponent" and is not incidental, and when coupled with the POE's is definitive to my eyes.

Rule 10-6-1 ("contact") prohibits putting a hand on an oppenet with one exception - the only time when a player may intentionally place his hand on an opponent: "He/she shall not contact an opponent with his/her hand unless such contact is only with the opponent's hand while it is on the ball and is incidental to an attempt to play the ball."

Here's the two POE lists from the past two years:
2003-2004:
2. Rough Play – Guidelines For Teaching And Officiating
A. Handchecking
B. Screening
C. Post Play
D. Rebounding
E. Block/Charge
F. Officiating Points

2002-2003:
4. Rough Play
A. Hands off
B. Post-play
C. Screens
D. Protecting the Shooter
E. Excess Swinging of Arm(s)/Elbow(s)

When I read the rules in their totality, it seems clear to me that the spirit of the rules is that use of the hands to gain an advantage by touching, tagging, handchecking, jabbing, etc. is prohibited on-ball and off-ball and all over the court.

There are many players and coaches who use the "it's only illegal

I suspect that one could play a whole season employing tactics like tagging and touching to locate and never get it called. But that doesn't make those actions within the rules.

In the code of ethics of the N. Fed of Coaches appears this statement: "The coach shall master the contest rules and shall teach them to his or her team members. The coach shall not seek advantage by circumvention of the spirit or letter of the rule."

Sorry for the long post, but should coaches teach their players to use their hands to find and keep track of their opponent? To me this seems to be prohibitied and should be stopped. I'm not advocating calling every example, but it seems to me it should not be a tactic taught to young players, as it is not an allowed form of incidental contact by the plain language of the rules.