In the NBA do you get to shoot when you have 3-seconds in the lane?

There is a "Defensive 3-second" violation in the NBA. No defensive player is allowed to remain in the lane for 3 seconds without "actively guarding" an offensive player. (I forget what the exact definition of "actively guarding" is.) This rule is in effect when the offensive team has team control in its frontcourt.

The penalty is a non-unsportsmanlike technical foul against the defensive team. (It doesn't count toward the player's six fouls or toward the bonus.) The offensive team is awarded one FT. The offensive team then retains possession with the unexpired time on the 24-second clock or with 14 seconds on the 24-second clock, whichever is greater.

Do they get one "warning" for a defensive 3-second call?

Doesent look like it?

No warning. It's different from the old "illegal defense" technical.

It's the NBA's way of instituting a zone defense, without it actually BEING a zone defense. Leave it to the NBA to come up with oxymoronic rules.

Trigger, instead of trying to make fun of it, why don't you try to understand the rule? The old illegal defense rules were designed to prevent a defense from double-teaming a man without the ball. Each defender had to either (a) defend his "own" man or (b) give help defense on the man with the ball. The defender was never allowed to defend nobody. He couldn't find a spot on the floor and just take up that space.

The new defense rules are not designed to allow zone defenses. Rather, they are designed to allow a defender to double-team a player without the ball. But it is still the case that the defender is never allowed to defend nobody, while standing in the lane.

The point of the illegal defense rule is still to prohibit a player from simply taking up space in the lane.

Does anyone have any more info on this "illegal defense" technical?? It sparked my interest, because one of the leagues I officiate has this rule, and I'm just wondering how the NBA dealt with it. Any info on this would be appreciated.

Merry Christmas

Just go to NBA.com and read the rules.

Thanks for the info, I didn't know that the NBA posted their rules on-line.

Merry Christmas

Yep. I had the link but can't find it at the moment. If I find it, I'll post it for ya.

ref18, are you interested in the new Defensive 3-Second rule or the old illegal defense rules? If you were asking about the new rule. . .

Here's the link: http://www.nba.com/analysis/rules_10...av=ArticleList

You're interested in Section VIII

If you're interested in the old rule, let me know, either here or via email.

I understand the rule, I just have a problem with the NBA announcing they were going to allow the implementation of zone defenses, yet then they penalize it. The whole point of a "zone defense" is to defend a zone, not a player. If you're going to allow zone defense, let the defense decide which zone to cover. That's just dumb to me.

They've haven't announced that they're allowing zone defenses, at least not in the same way that we see them in NF and NCAA play. Completely allowing for zone defenses would take away from a great percentage of the one on one play in the hafl court sets. They've changed the rules to allow freer movement of defensive players within the FT lane area.

As with so much else regarding the general public's understanding of basketball, this "problem" you have is a result of "announcer-speak". The NBA never announced that straight zone defenses were legal. They made the rule change and then the bobbleheads on TNT and NBC interpreted it for the TV audience -- and, of course, oversimplified it.

Let go of your pre-conceived notions or your disgust with the NBA's style of play and you'll see that the rule change makes a lot of sense (for use in the NBA). You don't have to play your own man, but you can't just clog the lane. That's all it boils down to.