Hands and Knees position
 

So the previous post got me thinking about different possible related situations:

- B1 is pressuring A1 full court. A1 has the ball in the backcourt by FT line. A4 gets on his hands and knees at half-court to set a screen. A1 is dribbling full speed headed towards the A4 screen. B1 running full speed trips over A4. Reviewing some of the rules references and applications in the previous post, how many of you guys would rule this a legal play?

- A1 is bringing the ball up court, dribbling towards the sideline, with B1 pressuring. B1 cuts off A1, directing A1 back towards the middle of the court. B3 had been reprimanded by his coach for picking up some ticky tack fouls by reaching when he goes to trap. So in anticipation of A1 reversing direction, B3 assumes the hands and knees position. A1 reverses direction at a high speed, takes 3 steps looking up court before he realizes B3 is in his way on his hands and knees. What is the call? What if A1 picks up the ball and jumps over B3 to avoid a major collision? What if A1 jumps over B3 to avoid the collision, but B3 begins to stand up at the same time (maintaining verticality)?

Screening principlesas defined in the rulebook state that the screener must stay within their vertical plane. Ergo, to have a legal screen, the screener has to be standing. If the player isn't standing, you simply can't have a legal screen.

having said that, the rules also state that any player is entitled to a spot on the playing court though as long as they got there first without making illegal contact. However, a further explanation in the rules say that you also legally can't play while bending your body into other than a normal position.

Those are the criteria that we've been given to work with. If you apply them, then imo any contact caused by a player getting on their hands and knees would be illegal contact charged to that player.

where can I find this explanation in the rule book?

Maybe we can get the "hand & knee" scenario put on the NHFS agenda next year?

NFHS rule 10-6-1

I think this is where a good dose of common sense can help us out. If a player sets a chop block screen and intentionally takes out a blind defender, I'm throwing him out of my game. Any time we have a situation we have a player who can't protect himself and goes airborne, we are risking very serious injury. This type of play is reminiscent of the horror stories that are in the Legal section of Referee Magazine that go to litigation. This is more about sportsmanship and the spirit of the game as "non-basketball plays" than possible misinterpretation of verticality or time and distance.

10-6-1
 

10-6-1: A player shall not: hold, push, charge, trip; nor impede the progress of an opponent by extending an arm, shoulder, hip or knee, or by bending the body into other than a normal position; nor use any rough tactics. He/she shall not contact an opponent with his/her hand unless such contact is only with the opponent’s hand while it is on the ball and is incidental to an attempt to play the ball. The use of hands on an opponent in any way that inhibits the freedom of movement of the opponent or acts as an aid to a player in starting or stopping is not legal. Extending the arms fully or partially other than vertically so that freedom of movement of an opponent is hindered when contact with the arms occurs is not legal. These positions are employed when rebounding, screening or in various aspects of postplay. A player may not use the forearm and hand to prevent an opponent from attacking the ball during a dribble or when throwing for goal. A player may hold the hands and arms in front of his/her face or body for protection and to absorb force from an imminent charge by an opponent. It is a form of pushing when the player holding the ball is contacted by a defensive player who approaches from behind. Contact that is caused by the momentum of a player who has thrown for a goal is a form of charging.