LGP on Airborne Shooter

[rwest]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Are you serious?

Camron is telling you that if a defender is no longer in the PATH of the offensive player after that player has changed direction, then that defender has LOST a legal guarding position. That's completely true and always has been. And you disagree with that?

The definition of "GUARDING" in rule 4-23-1 says that it is "the act of legally placing the body in the PATH of an offensive opponent." The defender can move then laterally or obliquely to MAINTAIN their position in the PATH of the offensive opponent, as long as the opponent isn't airborne. However, if you CAN'T maintain a legal guarding position in the PATH of an offensive opponent, then you have LOST that legal guarding position. That's true for ALL situations. Once you lose LGP, you have to establish it all over again. And the rules won't allow you to ESTABLISH a new legal guarding position on an airborne opponent.

Those are basic guarding principles..

To OBTAIN LGP you have to have two feet on the floor facing the player, however when you move obliquely to MAINTAIN LGP are you still in their path?

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by rwest

To OBTAIN LGP you have to have two feet on the floor facing the player, however when you move obliquely to MAINTAIN LGP are you still in their path?

You don't have to have ANY feet on the floor to maintain a LGP. That's only a prerequisite to initially obtaining a LGP. However, to maintain a LGP you do have to constantly stay in your opponent's path. If an opponent changes direction, the official then has to judge whether the defender was able to constantly stay in that opponent's path. Judgment call iow. Once you're judged to be out of that opponent's path, buh-bye LGP. And if that opponent becomes airborne and you're not in their path when they did so, you can't possibly have a LGP. The defender now has to obtain a new LGP all over again. And the rules won't allow any defender to obtain a new LGP after their opponent goes airborne. That's what Mark seems to be unable to comprehend.