is this a foul?

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally posted by foobar247
i'm no pro at basketball, and have been looking on the net trying to clarify some rules, but have not had any luck. so hopefully someone can clarify this for me:

if a defender is putting a hand up to block a shooter's shot, and as the shooter moves his hands forward to shoot, and makes contact with the defender's arm, is that a foul?

also, is it a foul if the defender reaches out to take a swipe(trying to block) at the shooter, and makes contact with the shooter's arm after the ball has already left the shooter's hands?

Thanks!

The answer to your first question: As long as the defender meets the requirments of verticality, the defender cannot be guilty of a foul, and the shooter could possibly be charged with a foul.

The answer to your second question: Yes.