LGP on Airborne Shooter

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Woody:

I did not post a diatribe on the NFHS Board. I admitted up front that my post would be long. I quoted the complete NFHS and NCAA definitions for guarding.


Tony:

I am suprised at your language.


Moving on:

Read Articles 3 and 4 of NFHS R4-S23. Nothing in those two articles prohibits a defender, B1, from moving to maintain a legal guarding position against an airborne player, A1, as long as the B1's LGP was obtained before A1 became airborne and if contact occurs, B1 was not moving toward A1 when contacts occur.

I NEVER (with apologies to the late J. Dallas Shirley) said that a defender can jump in front of an offensive player any time and it will NEVER be a blocking foul. If B1 does not have a LGP against A1 before A1 became airborne then, OF COURSE, B1 is guilty of a blocking foul if B1 takes a position in front of A1 while A1 is airborne and contact occurs while A1 is airborne.

Below are the four plays (Play D is the play that is causing all of the hand wringing, but I posted the plays in a specific order to lay the foundation for why the rules support a ruling of a foul against A1 in Play D.) that I posted on the NFHS Forum:

Lets see what type of foul occurs when B1 has obtained/established a legal guarding position against A1 (who has player control of the ball) and A1 dribbles the ball directly toward B1.

Play A: A1 dribbles toward B1 while B1 is standing in front of A1. A1, makes contact with the front of B1's torso. RULING: Foul by A1.

Play B: A1 stops his dribble and jumps directly toward B1 while B1 is standing in front of A1. A1, while airborne, makes contact with the front of B1's torso. RULING: Foul by A1.

Play C: A1 dribbles toward B1 but changes direction so as to go around B1. B1 moves to maintain his legal guarding position against A1. B1 is moving when A1 makes contact with B1's torso. B1 was NOT moving obliquely into A1 when the contact occured. RULING: Foul by A1.

Play D: A1 stops his dribble and jumps toward B1 but at an angle that will enable him to go past B1 if B1 either does not move or moves directly backward along A1's path before A1 went airborne. BUT, B1 moves to maintain his legal guarding position against A1. B1 is moving when A1 makes contact with B1's torso. B1 was NOT moving toward A1 when the contact occured. RULING: Based upon the definition of guarding and Plays A, B, and C, the only logical conclusion is a foul by A1.

The specific NFHS (NCAA and FIBA rules agree) rule citations are:

NFHS R4-S23-A3c: After the initial legal guarding position is obtained the guard may move laterally or obliquely to maintain position, provided it is not toward the opponent when contact occurs.

NFHS R4-S23-A4b: Guarding an opponent with the ball or a stationary opponent without
the ball: If the opponent with the ball is airborne, the guard must have obtained legal
position before the opponent left the floor.

Article 3c makes no distinction between an offensive player who is airborne or NON-airborne when the defender is MOVING TO MAINTAIN a LGP. It does state that if the defender is moving TOWARD the offensive player, the defender is responsible for contact that occurs.

Article 4b states that a defender must OBTAIN his LGP before the offensive player becomes airborne.

There are only two questions that the official must ask and answer:

1) Did the defensive player obtain a LGP before the offensive player became airborne?

If the asnwer to (1) is YES, then the official must ask the next question:

2) Was the defensive player moving TOWARD the airborne offensive player when contact occurs?

If the asnwer to (2) is YES, then the defensive player is responsible for the contact. If the answer to (2) is NO, then the offensive player for the contact.

Everybody is applying a rule (NFHS R4-S23-A5) that applies to a defensive player who has NOT obtained a LGP to a play where the defensive player has ALREADY obtained a LGP.

MTD, Sr.