Legal Guarding Position

[bob jenkins]

Originally posted by Rich Fronheiser

Well, I'll throw a guess out there. A player must have both feet on the playing floor to obtain legal guarding position. I'm inferring the comment you quoted above:

is not required to have either or both feet on the PLAYING COURT

as meaning that the player can be off the floor (verticality) or moving (both feet not on the court when moving). I simply don't think the passage you quoted was ever meant to mean a defender standing out of bounds.

Everyone else's mileage may vary. I like the rule. The semicircle under the basket is next

Rich

Right -- an overzealous editing job (sorry, Mary).

When they changed article 2 from "on the floor" to "on the playing court", they got what they wanted.

Also changing article 3 (or changing it in the same manner that they changed article 2) muddied the waters -- the interp clarifies the intent.

Unlike Rich, I don't like the rule -- but as I've said before, I don't get a vote.