When to stop closely guarded count?

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by Splute

If he is in a defensive stance; yes I will count. Otherwise he feels like he has to move closer to get a closely guarded count, and that would put him at a disadvantage. He does not have to swipe to have a closely guarded call. But simply standing at the top of the key or other position in a zone does not necessarily equate to defensive stance or "actively guarding" imo. Other views??

What about the first sentance of 4-23-1? "Guarding is the act of legal placing the body in the path of an offensive opponent." It doesn't say anything about "defensive stance", "actively guarding", or any other such term. In Art. 2, it states to obtain an initial legal guarding position, both feet must be on the playing court, and the front of the torso must be facing the opponent. Standing there chomping on gum (as long as they are facing the opponent) counts as "guarding", according to the rules.