NCAA Rules History Question

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally posted by heypartner
I've been to ncaa.org and look through the official rules changes. I can't find the evolution of the "legal block" or screen.

There was a time when the screener could not cause contact and had to be a given distance away from the defender. At some point, the current interpretation was allowed whereby the screener could get closer and take contact.

There was a 1959 change in interpretation, and I thought there was a 1970 or 71 change as well, that Bobby Knight exploited.

any help?

To answer your question, one has to look at the rules as written by the National Basketball Committee of the United States and Canada, the predecessor of the NFHS and NCAA Rules Committees. The NBCUSC Rules Committee wrote the rules prior to the 1978-79 season. Starting with the 1978-79 season the NBCUSC was replaced with the NFHS and NCAA Rules Committees. When the NFHS and NCAA Rules Committees were created all of the rules interpretations, casebook plays, and mechanics of the NBCUSC became part of the NFHS and NCAA codes until there were made null and void by a change in the appropriate rule.

NBCUSC rule changes for the 1959-60 season: a guard must have both feet on the floor to establish a legal position.

NBCUSC rule changes for the 1962-63 season: legal screening position established.

I cannot find any other rule changes regarding screening in my NFHS and NCAA Rules Books.

My references can be found in the 2000-02 NFHS Basketball Handbook.


I started officiating with the 1971-72, so except for a copy of the 1963-64 NBSUSC Rules Book, my library starts with the 1971-72 season.