Can a player take a charge while standing under the basket?

Welcome to the forum, CW30.

Yes, a charge can be called if the contact occurs inbounds, under the basket.
Whether it will be called depends on the official, but location, specifically under the basket, is not addressed in high school hoops.
mick

Thank you very much sir. Next sunday at my old mans rec. league game I will be sure and tell the Missouri High School official with poor mechanics that he was wrong. Thanks again. (I knew I was right) lol.

Only if you have big enough gohonies can you take a charge under the hoop. That's a tough area to take one!

Not only did the guy on my team take it. But the ref called a foul on him because he said you cant take a charge under the hoop. I havent officiated in 5 years and I know that you can take a charge anywhere on the court.

Let me rephrase that last sentence. I was all but certain I was correct. When I officiated I hated getting yelled at, I bet this guy gets abused when he does a game.

This statement can be true by rule for both NBA and NCAA women's games. We don't know what set of rules you are playing by, so maybe the official is not so dumb after all...

I will put it this way, there isnt a semi circle anywhere under the basket. We play high school rules.

I'd highly not recommend correcting the official next week... as a former ref you should know better.

Well, if you're playing high school rules, this is right outa this year's high school case book:

<b>10.6.1SITUATION C:</b> B1 is standing behind the plane of the backboard before A1 jumps for a lay-up shot. The forward momentum causes airborne shooter A1 to charge into B1.
<b>RULING:</b> B1 is entitled to the position attained legally before A1 left the floor. If the ball goes through the basket before or after the contact occurs, the player-control foul cancels the basket. However, if B1 moves into the path of A1 after A1 has left the floor, the foul is on B1. B1's foul on the airborne shooter is a foul during the act of shooting. If the shot is successful, one free throw is awarded and if it is unsuccessful, two free throws result.

Dem's the rules. Iow, forget about the concept of "under the basket" or a "semi-circle" being used in high school games.

Thanks. So the ref was wrong in the beginning. Especially for calling a foul on the defender for the sole purpose that "you cant take a charge while standing under the basket". He said that it would have been a charge had the defender not been standing under the basket. Looks like I win the bet. Thanks again for everyones input.

Slow down CW30, All but one mens rec leagues I dealt with were ncaa rules, so first double check what rules you use.
Second, "I havent officiated in 5 years and I know that you can take a charge anywhere on the court." - wrong (kind of)(NCAA)
A1(on a layup)charges into B1 who is setup behind backboard, does not get a charging foul called unless the shot is missed and B1 is at a rebounding disadvantage or putting the ball in play disadvantage.

I paraphrased, but the meaning is there. My memory tells me that the way this is called allows B1 to be under the basket, and still the charge is ignored, again NCAA.

The missing semi circle has little bearing on what rules the league defined as the rule-set.

Either way, be kind to the official, or stop playing and start refereeing, you can't do both.

Sam, you're referring to NCAA Womens rules only, right? The Women reference the circle; the NCCAA Mens rules are the same as NFHS rules, I believe.

Btw, CW30 said above that they did use high school rules.

So many misconceptions in this thread. Jeez. It seems like I have to repeat this every single time this topic comes up. So here goes:

Even in NBA and NCAAW it is possible to draw a charge directly beneath the basket!!!! However, it's only possible on certain kinds of plays.

In the NBA:

• the Restricted Area rules apply only to a secondary defender. The primary defender can take a charge anywhere. But the "help" defender cannot be in the semi-circle.
• the Restricted Area rules don't apply at all if the play begins inside the Lower Defensive Box.
• the Restricted Area rules don't allow the offensive player to use his non-shooting arm to clear space or to prevent the defender from attacking the ball. Using the arm this way would still be an offensive foul.
• the Restricted Area rules don't mandate that any contact within the semi-circle must be called a block. The official has the discretion to no-call it.

In NCAAW:

• A player control foul may be called directly under the basket if the play is a drive parallel to the endline.

Let's please try to understand the actual rules before we give sweeping generalities.

JR, I am at work now and going by memory from what I read last night.

NCAA Rule Book 2001 is my latest NCAA rule book. Rule 4-8
defines charging. There are 4 case plays, the first being for mens, the next 3 for womens. The first one (mens) is what I paraphrased. (edit - 2 ARs one for men and - one for women)

I will try to look up NCAA rules online and confirm or deny this post for accuracy. (edit - confirmed)

edited - AR 6 is the case play for men. AR 7 for women.
AR 6 is the same as I paraphrased above. The online NCAA rules were dated 2004.
Womens AR says under the basket.
Mens AR says behind backboard.

[Edited by SamIAm on Feb 22nd, 2006 at 09:11 AM]

I'd like to see this rule changed. To me, legal guarding position inherently means that you are trying to stop a player from scoring. How are you stopping a player from scoring if you are playing defense directly under the rim? I'm a fan of the semi-circle. Anyone else with thoughts on this?

By forcing the offense to alter the lay-up, or take a short jumper, the defense is reducing the chance of a successful try. That's part of "playing defense". I'd vote against the semi-circle.

A good point Bob, but to me, most of the time when the defense ends up right under the basket it is because they are not in good initial defensive position. Yes, I can see that it will alter a lay-up or force a short jumper, but to me, if you are guarding someone, get out on the floor and stop them from getting to the rim. Parking yourself under the rim and waiting for contact just seems to be a little...well I think cheap is the best word for it (I was looking for a clear way to make my point and have writer's block).

Chuck-->

This is why I said it "can" be a true statement, and not that it "is" a true statement. I will try to make myself more clear the next time!

Well, cheap is all a lot of high school players have! At the skill level of the NBA, I can see being this restrictive, but for hs and rec ball, it makes sense to give players whatever can be available. Rarely do I see anyone "parking" under the rim. Usually the "take the charge" is set up within a second of the shot, and in that case, I think it's good defense where ever it happens.

How are you defending the rim from directly below it?

Forget the rim, Junker.
Think disruption of <LI>the shooter's path, <LI>the shooter's balance, <LI>the shooter's release.

That's good defense, too.
mick

Sure, it's "better" to be farther out on the court. Any coach would agree. But, it's "better" to be under the rim than to not play defense at all.

I'm playing a little devil's advocate here, I do not use an imaginary rim when I call a game. A charge can be taken at any place on the court. I do feel, however, that a player under the rim, while they can alter a shot, is primarily there trying to draw a foul. I personally would like the ring. To me, not having it is letting defenses take a small advantage of a rule. I know that's part of the game, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

I dunno, Junker.
A hunert years ago, if I was going to the hole and a defender was under the hoop, I wouldn't have given it a thought.
mick http://www.deephousepage.com/smilies/conf44.gif

You're still talking about someone who is just camped there under the rim, waiting for a shooter to come flying in. If a player is using good defense by guarding the shooter, gauging where to stand in order for the shooter to have to alter her path, under the rim can be a great place to be. But she's not going to be there very long!

The offensive player was dribbling baseline, either to shoot a reverse layup or pass. The defender cut off baseline (which he is suppose to do, GOOD D) offensive player tramples the defensive player and defensive player is called for a foul. All because the ref says you cant take a charge under the basket. I didnt belittle the ref, I just told him that you can take a charge under the basket. We do play highschool rules, and the ref is a high school ref.

Particularly on a baseline drive. This ref has missed the boat on understanding the issue of being under the basket. In all leagues (NBA, NCAA, and NFHS), this is a charge. A case of listening to cliches and not understanding the principles behind them.