I would prefer the player catching the pass be afforded the same "time and
distance" he had the .1 of a second before he caught the pass. It could be
enforced the same way an illegal screen is enforced, but since the player with the ball is fouled it would be a blocking foul on the defender.

The wording and the specific example in the rulebook protects an offensive player running down the court without the ball: "If the player doesn't have the ball, "screening" principles apply and the defender has to give "time and distance" to a moving opponent. Iow, they have to give the other player time to stop or change directions."

It would seem the thinking involved with "guarding principles" for the player
with the ball assumes he is dribbling into a defender or otherwise has the opportunity to see him and avoid him. "Screening principles" assume a player may be blind screened or otherwise be put in a situation where it is physically impossible to avoid the screener (so he is given "time and space")....this is the same situation a pass receiver may be in.

Camron Rust said:
"Basically, if a player knows he is about to catch the ball and needs to be aware of where other players [are]. Before he turns his head to the ball, he should ensure that is path is clear. More than likely, the player was looking over his shoulder..."

Well, yes. If you are running away from the ball you must look back over your shoulder to catch it. A long pass could be in the air 1-2 seconds. Even at half speed players could move 15-30 feet in that time. Again, the rules allow the same offensive player "time and space" when the pass is in the air, but the instant he catches it those same rules no longer apply. A defender behind the play can gauge the pass, receiver, speed, etc. and step in (to LGP) the instant the pass is caught *legally*. Even the NFL has rules to protect receivers in this type of case.

Assuming Fed rules...
 

Player control foul. Had A1 not caught the ball, it sounds like B1 gave proper time and distance, so he is entitled to that position on the floor. Would have been a charge in that case.

Depends. Once the shot attempt has released A1's hands, the 3 second count is terminated and not restarted all criteria exist again. Did that happen? If so, not valid. If blocked while still in A1's hands, you still have the count going.

Remember, the maximum requirement for time and distance on a screen is 2 steps. 15 feet maybe. 30? Not a chance. If a player is turning his head to catch a pass, and the pass takes that long in the air, he's got a chance to turn his head to see the path. Also, that's what his teammates are for.

I'm not saying 2 steps is 30 feet. I'm saying a defender could move 15-30 feet while a pass is in the air (1-2 seconds). The receiver could check his path, turn for the ball, and the defender could move into his path. It's not like this type of collision is rare. They happen all the time. Again, the point is the defender doesn't have to give *any space* according to the rule once the pass is caught. Why do you even mention "2 steps"?

The receiver doesn't have to run looking back over his/her shoulder. The fact that the player is not looking where they are going doesn't absolve them of contact of a defender jumps into their path after they look away.

I mentioned it because you're saying he could go 30 feeet during that time. My point is that's irrelevant even if the player doesn't have the ball; because this player only gets two steps maximum. He could be able to travel the length of the floor while the pass is in the air, but unless he can do it in two steps, it doesn't matter whether he has the ball or not.

Basically, my point is the distance a player can move isn't relevant.

I know what you're saying, but the fact is once a player gets the ball he has to expect to be guarded. That's basketball.

And you say these "happen all the time?" Not in my experience. Most offensive players have learned to look for it.

If the ball is thrown from behind a player as he runs down the court, how is
he going to catch it if he doesn't look back? :D

They happen often enough for the rules to protect players *without* the
ball in the same circumstance.... The rules also offer protection (time and distance) for players without the ball even if the screener is right in his line of sight. I would say the reason they don't happen more often is the *defenders* know the offensive player receiving a pass can often neither see them or avoid them. They understand if they step in front of receiver, moving at speed, and turning his head to see the ball (so he can catch it) there will likely be a violent collision. The defender doesn't want to get a head full of teeth (or a mouthful
of face).

The rule is more specifically designed to protect defensive players from blind screens; but the screening principals apply to all players without the ball. The rules assume a player with the ball knows both where he is heading and who is in his way. This also applies to a player who knows he is about to receive the ball.
You said it happens "all the time." It doesn't. Frankly, I haven't witnessed the original scenario more than a couple times in my career. It's rare, to be honest. I'd say it's rare because offensive players don't tend to run blind.

Really?

Utah vs Golden State last night:

First half:

Kirilenko moving without the ball on the left side of the lane, pass from the
left corner forces him to look away from the hoop, player steps in on his
blind side just after the catch, collision before a full step, block called.

Oukur, moving without the ball on the left side of the lane, pass from the
left wing forces him to look away from the hoop, Ellis steps in on his
blind side just after the catch, collision before a full step, charge called.

Second half:

Boozer running near the top of the key without the ball, pass comes from back court forces him to look away from the hoop, Biedrins steps in, near
instantaneous contact, travel called (couldn't see the steps because of the
camera angle, but as mentioned earlier in this thread officials sometimes
call a travel in this case when they are not sure).

The Boozer play was exactly like the original examples, the other two
had the same essential elements: offensive player *must* look away from
his path to catch a pass and contact occurs immediately. While three of
these in the same game might be unusual, seeing only two in your entire
career is a bit hard to believe: I was born at night, but I wasn't born
last night. ;)

NBA.......High School Game.........NCAA game.......not quite the same thing.

I would bet some money that the rules are not the same as it relates to all these issues.

Pro players do all kinds of things to draw fouls or to stop players from movement. They scout teams a lot more and they are much more knowledgeable about the game as a whole.

So if you have an example that took place in the NCAA Tournament, I might go with you there. If all you have is some NBA scenario which none of us here do or experience and most do not even watch, then that is not going to fly.

Peace

NBA rules do <b>NOT</b> equate to college or high school basketball. Ever! NBA rules are completely different than NFHS or NCAA rules. The officiating philosophies are completely different also.

You might not have been born last night, but you sureasheck are awfully slow to pick up the concepts of what people have been trying to explain to you. Believe it or not, what you've been told so far are the <b>rules</b> for high school and college basketball. If you don't choose to believe what you're being told, that's unfortunate. If you don't like the rule, that's unfortunate also. Meanwhile, it doesn't change reality.

My point was simply that it doesn't happen "all the time." I'd go so far as to say it's rare for the situation in the OP to occur in organized ball. That it happened once in an NBA playoff game doesn't change that.

FWIW, I sympathize with thinking some rules need changed. I just don't think this is one. :)

I know. He said he's only seen this type of play twice in his career. It occurred three times in one nationally televised game last night (I'm not cherry picking one game from many months or years ago, and I can't find any NCAA or HS games on the tube right now).

I'm not saying anything about if the calls were right, wrong, etc. Or anything
about the NBA vs NCAA vs HS rules. There was also the inference that these
kind of bang bang collisions of a caught pass only happen when the receiver
lacks experience....these are all near All-Star NBA players that got whacked
when they turned their heads to catch a pass.

As someone said to me: it's called basketball.

No, it didn't happen three times. Based on your post, it happened once last night. And I never inferred they only happen with inexperienced receivers. I said they dont' happen more often because most basketball players don't run blindly down the court; and most passers don't throw the ball over their teammates heads when there's a defender down there.