Illegal screen?

[dan74]

SITUATION:

A group of players from both teams are bunched together in the middle of the court, just inside the division line of team A's frontcourt, when B1 steals the ball at the division line near the sideline and begins a fast break. B1 has a slight head start.

The group of players turn and bolt toward B's basket. B2 breaks from the group first and is about one-two steps ahead of A1, with players on both sides of A1 while running.

As the group has the angle on B1 and are closing the gap, B2 hits the breaks and jump stops in front of A1, causing A1 to collide into B2's back. There was about a strides distance between them when B2 jump stopped, and players on both sides of A1, so she didn't have any time to stop and couldn't change directions without running into somone else.

RULES:

4-40-Art. 5: "When screening a moving opponent, the screener must allow the opponent time and distance to avoid contact. The distance need not be more than two strides."

4-40-Art. 6: "When screening an opponent who is moving in the same path and direction as the screener is moving, the opponent is responsible for contact if the screener slows or stop."

QUESTION

Does Art. 5 also apply to Art. 6? I understand, as in Art. 6, that "the opponent is responsible if the screener slows or stops," but does the screener have to "allow the opponent time and distance to avoid contact," as is written in Art. 5?


I hope everything makes OK sense.

Thanks for your input!

[WhistlesAndStripes]

I'll take a stab at it. The way I understand your question and the rule, Article 5 applies to someone that is setting a stationary screen. In other words, they must set the stationary screen in such a way as to allow proper time and distance for the player they are going to screen to be able to stop, or go around them.

I do not believe that article 5 and article 6 are interconnected, as Article 6 applies to a "moving screen," and the way I understand it, if both players are moving in the same direction, and the one in front stops and gets run over by the one running behind them, the one running behind is responsible for the contact.

[Jurassic Referee]

If B2 jumps in front of A1 from the side, use NFHS rule 10-6-3(c)- "A player who screens shall not take a position so close to a moving opponent that this opponent cannot avoid contact by stopping or changing direction. The speed of the player to be screened will determine where the screener may take his/her stationary position. This position will vary and may be one to two normal steps or strides from the opponent".

If B2 stops in front of A1 and they were running in the same path, use Rule 10-6-3(d)--"A player who screens shall not, after assuming his/her legal screening position, move to maintain it, unless he/she moves in the same direction and path of the opponent. When both opponents are moving in exactly the same path and direction, the player behind is responsible if contact is made if the player in front slows up or stops and the player behind overruns his/her opponent". If that's what happened, then the correct call is no call for a legal screen. If A1 tries to plow through B2's screen though, then the correct call is a foul on A1.

[dan74]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

If B2 stops in front of A1 and they were running in the same path, use Rule 10-6-3(d)--"A player who screens shall not...When both opponents are moving in exactly the same path and direction, the player behind is responsible if contact is made if the player in front slows up or stops and the player behind overruns his/her opponent". If that's what happened, then the correct call is no call for a legal screen. If A1 tries to plow through B2's screen though, then the correct call is a foul on A1.

(b) is what happened...and I booted the call. I called an illegal screen because A1 was right behind B2 and didn't have time to stop.. A1 tried to avoid B2, but there was some contact.

I've seen kids screen a player directly behind by slowing up, but I haven't seen someone do this by jump stopping at close to full speed. I remember thinking that it was almost a safety issue, as A1 was that close.

The bottom line, I booted it. But the good news, I learned something and hopefully won't boot that one again.