Closely guarded..with a glitch

[Stat-Man]

Originally posted by Jurassic Referee

You might want to check out the NCAA rulebook too. NCAA rule 9-14-1(a) seems to be saying something completely different also.

From 2003-04 (the most recent NCAA rulebook on my desktop)

NCAA 4-11-4: When a player is positioned between the player in control of the ball and his or her opponent, who is within 6 feet (men) or 3 feet (women), a closely guarded situation does not exist.

NCAA 9-13-1a: A closely guarded violation occurs when a team in its front court (men) or on the playing court (women) controls the ball for five seconds in an area enclosed by screening teammates. (includes AR 23)

9-13-1a and AR23 seems to state that if the offense "boxes in" the ball so that the defense is unable to create a closely guarded situation, a violation will be called after 5 seconds if there is a defender with 3 (W) or 6 (M) feet of an offensive player.

4-11-4 seems to just talk about one player in between the ballhandler and opponent.

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Now for NFHS, the language of 4-11-4 doesn't exist. Thus creating an ambiguity in administering that situation when looking at the letter of the rules.

[Edited by Stat-Man on Oct 20th, 2005 at 04:18 PM]