Is this legal? An offensive player sets a screen. As the defender attempts to go around the screen, the screener hops or shuffles into the defender's path.

I play pickup basketball with an honorable bunch of guys (and one gal). If we understand a rule, we generally abide by it. However, there's some contention on this issue. Some players think it's a legitimate move; others see it as an illegal screen.

Thanks for any clues.

Kal in Colorado

no

nope

It all depends.
 

First all there must be contact for any of this to be illegal and there must be displacment as well. Just having contact might not warrant a foul at all. In other words, if the defensive player saw the screen and decided to stop and there was very slight contact, then I would not call a thing. But if the defensive player was trying to get to a spot and the screen cut him off, it is a foul.

Peace

What Rut said.

What Rut & Mick said...plus, I might also add, if illegal contact, even if only slight, causes an unfair advantage to the team setting the screen, I'd call that one too...but probably only in a girls' game.

I would also add that you have to see this. Was time and distance allowed when player moved? Many people think that a moving screen is something illegal. Making illegal contact is illegal. Moving continuously, then stopping and setting oneself before contact is made is not illegal.

I actually watched a game where the ref called a no-contact moving screen as a violation - no foul called! I explained to him later that it doesn't work that way - you need contact.

Thanks!
 

Thanks for the clarification, guys!