[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

As someone who started officiating women's college basketball back in the "Ancient Days" (1974 to be exact), as well as being a USA Basketball Referee in the 1990s, I probably have more experience (time wise with the "Closely Guarded" rule of all five or six rules: NBCofUS&C, NAGWS, NFHS, NCAA Men's/Women's, and FIBA, I will finally add my two cents to this thread.

The "Closely Guarded" rule found its way into the NFHS and NCAA Basketball Rules Books from two different directions: 1) NFHS and NCAA Men's from the NBCofUS&C rules set, while 2) the NCAA Women's from the NAGWS (which took it directly from the FIBA rules set) rules set.

I will address the easiest of the two first: NCAA Women's. The FIBA "Closely Guarded" rule has been the same for at least 42 years because the 1974-75 season was my first year officiating women's college basketball so my NAGWS books start with that school year. The rule was: Being guarded (within 3 feet) for five seconds while holding the ball anywhere on the court. NAGWS patterned its rules set on a combination of NBCof US&C and FIBA rules. Its "Closely Guarded" rule was exactly like FIBA's (which has as it distance as one meter) rule. FIBA did not have a 10 second rule for advancing the ball and therefore neither did NAGWS. When the NCAA Women's Basketball Rules Committee was formed it adopted the NAGWS "Closely Guarded" rule. And that rule has been the same until the NCAA Women's Basketball Rules Committee amended it to apply only in a team's front court and the distance was expanded to 6 feet, starting with the 2013-14 season.

Until this season the NFHS and NCAA Men's has always been the same. But how did both groups get to the same rule (prior to this season)? You don't want to ask, except that it started before the NBCofUS&C split into the NFHS and NCAA Men's Basketball Rules Committees. But it goes back to days when the front court was divided into the mid-court and the fore-court, and one does not want to even ask about when the five second count was in effect. But it was fun back then and not so simple as it is today.

If I would basketball rules dictator for one day, I would write the "Closely Guarded" rule as such: a) five seconds, b) only holding the ball, and c) only in the Front Court.

So ends the history lesson.

MTD, Sr.