Legal Guarding Position

[Old School]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

Actually, the theory was that a player guarding a drive down the lane for a layup, who was directly under the basket, was only at that spot to draw a charge; they would not be in a position to block the shot or play any other type of defense. However, on a drive along the baseline, the offensive player could shoot or pass, and therefore the defender standing in the exact same spot has more defensive options for being in that spot.

Thank you for providing this explanation. I oftened wondered why it was acceptable to stand under the basket if the drive was from the baseline. Good stuff....!