Advantage/Disadvantage talk is making me nervous

[zebraman]

mplagrow,

Please read the section in the NFHS rulebook called "the intent and purpose of the rules" on page 9.

I'll quote a bit from it: "it is important to know the intent and purpose of a rule so that it may be intelligently applied."

The 3-second rule was put in to prevent players from gaining a big advantage by camping in the key (was it Kareem's dominance or maybe Wilt's dominance that led to that rule?). The rule book gives officials that authority to call it, even if only one foot is in the lane (documentation has to be precise). However, do you really think it is in the "spirit and intent" of the rules to call "3 seconds" on a player who is in the key without gaining any advantage?

IMHO, those officials who call "3-in-the-key" every time they see it are failing to apply that rule intelligently.

Z