Closely guarded? No. Just throw out your arms.

[Nevadaref]

Rick,
While you argue your position with passion and do have the spirit of the rules behind you, please consider that the word "actively" is not used in the rules book regarding this situation. Just in case any newer officials who read this thread might take what you have written as definitive, I feel compelled to mention this. It is true that the player with the ball does have to be "guarded", but how you define that word is of the utmost importance. The NFHS definition is below.


RULE 4
SECTION 10 CLOSELY GUARDED
A closely guarded situation occurs when a player in control of the ball in his/her team's frontcourt, is continuously guarded by any opponent who is within 6 feet of the player who is holding or dribbling the ball.

SECTION 23 GUARDING
ART. 1 . . . Guarding is the act of legally placing the body in the path of an offensive opponent. There is no minimum distance required between the guard and opponent, but the maximum is 6 feet when closely guarded.


Using these definitions a solid case can be made that just standing in front of an opponent constitutes guarding, and just being within six feet of that opponent qualifies as closely guarding.