On a five second count, I deem someone to be closely guarded when a defender has established LGP within 6 feet of the player with the ball. Whether they be in an active defensive stance or just standing there looking at them.

Is this the correct interpretation?

Does this help?
NCAA
Rule 4 Sect 33 Art 6: To maintain a legal guarding position after the initial position has
been attained the guard:
a. Is not required to continue having the torso face the opponent.
b. Is required to have either one foot or both feet on the playing court
(cannot be out of bounds).
c. May raise the hands or may jump within his or her own vertical
plane.
d. May shift to maintain guarding position in the path of the dribbler,
provided that the guard does not charge into the dribbler or otherwise
cause contact.
e. May move laterally or obliquely to maintain position provided
such a move is not toward the opponent when contact occurs.
f. Is not required to have the feet on the playing court when shifting
in the path of the dribbler or when moving laterally or obliquely.
g. May turn or duck to absorb shock when contact by the dribbler is
imminent. In such a case, the dribbler shall not be absolved from
the responsibility of contact.

Yes.

MTD, Sr.

For HS and NCAAM, yes. For NCAAW, no. NCAA 9-14-1b(2).

Did someone tell you otherwise? If so, who was it?

I was doing intramurals last night, and one of the assistant coaches for the women's team was playing and he felt very strongly that my interpretation was wrong when I called him for 5 seconds.

League plays by CIS mens rules minus the shot clock, and I was using the CIS 3-feet, holding the ball only rule. If it's still that anymore I dunno.

That's the problem, he's a women's coach, so he's used to a different rule. I give him credit for knowing the rule for his day job.

Huh? That is the Women's rule. ref18 was using the Women's rule, and the Women's coach objected to it. Big surprise.

For NFHS:

FRONTCOURT CLOSELY-GUARDED ACTION
9.10.1 SITUATION C: Team A has the ball in its own frontcourt. B1 stands within 6 feet and facing A1 while A1 is holding the ball near the division line. RULING: In five seconds this would be a violation. In the situation outlined, as soon as B1 has assumed a guarding position, both feet on the court, facing the opponent, no other specific requirement is in effect. The amount of movement or the actual body position of the player is irrelevant.


PS What is CIS?

CIS is Canadian Interuniversity Sport - the Cdn equiv. of NCAA. Currently, CIS-M uses modified NCAA rules. CIS-W use modified FIBA or modified NCAA-W. (I forget which, I do not watch/follow CIS-W basketball.)

Now I'm confused. Here's how I see it, show me where I'm messed up (besides in my head).

ref18 calls the 5 seconds because the defense doesn't have to be doing anything other than be within the required distance.
player called for 5 seconds complains that the defense is supposed to be "actively guarding."
"Actively guarding" is a requirement in NCAA-W, but not NCAA-M or NFHS. So, the player, who coaches with some variation of NCAA-W rules, is complaining based on the rule for the team he coaches.

Right?

Actually, CIS-Womens use modified FIBA rules, they used CIS-Mens (Modified NCAA-Mens) rules last year, and before that it was FIBA. But this year they're back to FIBA.

Yeah, me too, actually. The first post says that he thinks closely guarded does not require a guarding stance. Then later he says he was using the 3-foot, guarding stance guideline. I'm not really sure what the actual call was either, now.

THe three feet is a CIS modification, they only require 3-feet distance for closely guarded, and the player can only be holding the ball for a count to start. No closely guarded count while dribbling.

Okay, A1 is standing still with the ball. B1 is standing idly within 3 feet of A1. After 5 seconds of this, you blow your whistle. A1 complains?
3 feet is, frankly, close enough that it would be hard to have someone that close without "actively guarding" (whatever that means).