Facing Opponent ???
 

I post this question at the risk of being called an old fool and losing my esteemed member status on the Forum.

I know that guarding is the act of legally placing the body in the path of an offensive opponent, and that to obtain an initial legal guarding position, the front of the guard’s torso must be facing the opponent.

A1, guarded by B1, fakes a three point field goal try, and drives past defensive player B1 to the basket. B5, who was guarding A5, and who was initially fifteen feet away from A1, and who was never initially facing A1, takes the fake and immediately turns to face the backboard hoping to snag a rebound. A1, totally out of control, with no regard for the safety of the other players, drives down the lane and hits stationery B5 directly in the back, sending B5 sprawling into the basket stanchion, injured, blood is everywhere.

This is a blocking foul on B5 because the front of the B5’s torso must be initially facing the opponent, A1?

Am I missing something here?

Legal guarding position is not always necessary to avoid a blocking foul. Every player is entitled to his position on the court as long as he achieves it without illegally contacting an opponent. (or something like that)

The play in question is an example of this, you old fool.

Hey, you knew the risk.

No Fool Like An Old Fool ...
 

Every player is entitled to a spot on the playing court provided such player gets there first
without illegally contacting an opponent.

So it's a player control foul on A1?

But:

Charging is illegal personal contact caused by pushing or moving
into an opponent’s torso.
a. A player who is moving with the ball is required to stop or change direction
to avoid contact if a defensive player has obtained a legal guarding position
in his/her path.

Guarding is the act of legally placing the body in the path of an
offensive opponent ... After the initial legal guarding position is obtained:
The guard is not required to continue facing the opponent ...

Am I missing something here? Like the boat?

10-7
ART. 7

A dribbler shall neither charge into nor contact an opponent in his/her path nor attempt to dribble between two opponents or between an opponent and a boundary, unless the space is such as to provide a reasonable chance for him/ her to go through without contact.

Legally Obtain A Defensive Position ...
 

ART 9 When a dribbler in his/her progress is moving in a straight-line path, he/she may not be crowded out of that path, but if an opponent is able to legally obtain a defensive position in that path, the dribbler must avoid contact by changing direction or ending his/her dribble.

How does a player legally obtain a defensive position?

To obtain an initial legal guarding position:
b. The front of the guard’s torso must be facing the opponent.

There has to be an easy answer to this situation? Right?

As just another ref stated earlier, it must be this:

Every player is entitled to a spot on the playing court provided such player gets there first
without illegally contacting an opponent.

Currently Viewing: 4-45-2 Next Last

ART. 1

Verticality applies to a legal position. Following are the basic components of the principle of verticality:

Legal guarding position must be obtained initially and movement thereafter must be legal.
Link to Article

ART. 2

Verticality applies to a legal position. Following are the basic components of the principle of verticality:

From this position, the defender may rise or jump vertically and occupy the space within his/her vertical plane.

ART. 3

Verticality applies to a legal position. Following are the basic components of the principle of verticality:

The hands and arms of the defender may be raised within his/her vertical plane while on the floor or in the air.

ART. 4

Verticality applies to a legal position. Following are the basic components of the principle of verticality:

The defender should not be penalized for leaving the floor *vertically or having his/her hands and arms extended within his/her vertical plane.

ART. 5

Verticality applies to a legal position. Following are the basic components of the principle of verticality:

The offensive player whether on the floor or airborne, may not “clear out” or cause contact within the defender’s vertical plane, which is a foul.

ART. 6

Verticality applies to a legal position. Following are the basic components of the principle of verticality:

The defender may not “belly up” or use the lower part of the body or arms to cause contact outside his/her vertical plane, which is a foul.

ART. 7

Verticality applies to a legal position. Following are the basic components of the principle of verticality:

The player with the ball is to be given no more protection or consideration than the defender in judging which player has violated the rules.

Legal Guarding Position ...
 

How is legal guarding position obtained initially ?

To obtain an initial legal guarding position:
b. The front of the guard’s torso must be facing the opponent.

B5 did nothing more than face the basket to get a possible rebound and ended up bloodied, sprawled on the basket stanchion. There has to be a simple rule to make this illegal? Right?

Can that simple rule be this: Every player is entitled to a spot on the playing court provided such player gets there first
without illegally contacting an opponent.

Can it be that simple?

What did the player do illegally to get to the position he was in?

Torso ???
 

The player's torso wasn't facing the opponent.

To obtain an initial legal guarding position:
b. The front of the guard’s torso must be facing the opponent.

Right?

A "legal position" and "Legal Guarding Position" are not the same thing. The latter is a subset of the former. In obtaining LGP the player gains the right to be moving or jumping at the time of contact. A player who only has a legal position doesn't have those rights. The player only having "legal position" but not LGP is not permitted to be moving laterally in order to remain in the path of the opponent (among other things).

It is not a blocking foul on B5 because the screening rule is the governing rule in this play.

MTD, Sr.

Screen ...
 

ART. 1 A screen is legal action by a player who, without causing contact,
delays or prevents an opponent from reaching a desired position.
ART. 2 To establish a legal screening position:
a. The screener may face any direction.
b. Time and distance are relevant.
c. The screener must be stationary, except when both are moving in the same
path and the same direction.
d. The screener must stay within his/her vertical plane with a stance
approximately shoulder width apart.
ART. 5 .When screening a moving opponent, the screener must allow the
opponent time and distance to avoid contact by stopping or changing direction.
The speed of the player to be screened will determine where the screener may
take his/her stationary position. The position will vary and may be one to two
normal steps or strides from the opponent.
ART. 7 A player who is screened within his/her visual field is expected to
avoid contact by going around the screener.

Billy:

HAPPY NEW YEAR GRANDPA!! :)

MTD, Sr.

Knocks Over The Screener ...
 

So my situation is similar to an defensive player who illegally forces his way through a screen, maybe illegally knocking the screener over?

https://tse4.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.M...=0&w=282&h=159

One more year closer to the grave.

Yippee.

Yes. No it just means that you are one year closer to becoming an old geezer like me. :p

MTD, Sr.