Block / Charge Situation

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

A player with one foot touching the line does not qualify as "off" the playing court.

As far as I can tell, out of bounds and leaving the floor equate exactly. OHBBREF has posted the closest defs we have. Note also the verbiage in this case play:

9.3.3 SITUATION B: A1 and A2 set a double screen near the end line. A3 intentionally goes out of bounds outside the end line to have his/her defender detained by the double screen. RULING: The official shall call a violation on A3 as soon as he/she steps out of bounds. The ball is awarded to Team B at a designated spot nearest to where the violation occurred.

In other words, as soon as A3 is OOB, which is very clearly defined, he has left the playing floor. However, merely leaving the playing floor is not a violation.

Also, iirc, the stated intent for this rule, from the NFHS's comments on the new rules the year it was enacted (or perhaps from the prior year, NevadaRef is right about the piecemeal way this was done), had to do specifically with the inequity of allowing the defense to use the OOB area to play defense, and the need to require all players to play the game on the playing floor. Ergo their interpretation that the defenders foot on the line ends LGP.