Moving Screen? (Block)

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by wyo96

Freshman Girls. In transition, A1 is outside the 3 point arc, top left guarded by B1. A2 transitions into high post FT line with defender B2 between her and the basket. A1 gets around B1 and is driving to the basket. A2, facing A1 the whole time, slides down the lane with hands out for a pass all the way to the bottom block, but the slide prevents B2 from getting around her for help side D. A1 makes a lay up.

I did not judge the intention of A2 to prevent B2 from helping, so I passed on it. Coach B disagreed.

It happened twice in the course of 2 minutes and I passed both times. The post player has a right to move down the lane, but can she block the defender? There are several times a defender may want to get past a post player to help, and I have called block when the post player was clearly hindering the defender.

Thoughts? Thanks.

Did A2 and B2 have any contact? Was that contact illegal, according to screening principles described in the rule and case book?

There's no such thing as an "obstruction" call in basketball, where the one player can't just get in the way of another player. In fact, obstructing another player legally is a HUGE part of basketball and is taught and encouraged. It does have to be done legally, but that isn't the same as being entirely illegal.

In your play, it sounds as though it was legal, and not because of A2's intentions, either. Doesn't matter what she was thinking. If she didn't push or hold B2, or cause other illegal contact, then she didn't foul.

Because of your vocabulary and the description of your thinking process, it sounds like you might be thinking of soccer where I think "obstruction" of the player can be illegal if the "obstructor" isn't "playing the ball".