Was reading through the Major editorial changes this year. Noticed that the clarification was that both feet must be touching the playing court to establish legal guarding postition. 4-7-2(b) states that if a defender establishes a legal guarding position then the dribbler is responsible for avoiding the contact.

A1 driving to basket baseline. B1 has one foot on baseline OOB and other foot in bounds. Since both feet aren't inbounds (is this still legal guarding position?), is it a block? If I see the defender standing there and offense steamrolls him, I call the player control. Besides, I think its good D to use the sideline as a 6th defender. Thanks!

Go Gators!
gatormaz

i need to read all the threads
 

need to stay on top of all the threads. its like reading the faq before asking questions. sheesh

We had our rules clinic tonight. Our state head of officials obviously does not like this rule change. But I suppose he is obligated to speak on following the letter of the law. He held up two fingers half an inch apart and said, "If my foot is this much on the baseline and the dribbler crashes into me and crushes my sternum it is a blocking foul." But then he said, "If I am refereeing this call I am probably not looking so much at the feet as at the contact." He finished by saying, "On this play, when in doubt, assume that the defender is in bounds." I think what he was trying to say was not to call this a block unless the defender had one foot on the bleachers.

Hey JR, add this one to my list of rules that I will ignore while officiating. :D

Gee,why aren't I surprised?