Airborne Player Catching a Pass

[Spence]

What am I looking for in a situation where a player jumps to catch a pass and crashes into a defender? Assume its on a press break or on a lob into the post.

Is it simply LGP? If he was there before the player jumped then the crash is a player control?

[Mark Padgett]

Is the offensive player holding or dribbling a live ball inbounds? If so, he's in player control and if the defender had LGP before the offensive player left the floor, it's a player control foul.

[justacoach]

Would it not make a difference whether the airborne player had secured control or not. No control, then screening principles must be applied, no???

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by justacoach

Would it not make a difference whether the airborne player had secured control or not. No control, then screening principles must be applied, no???

Not really screening principles but essentially the same.

[Back In The Saddle]

Yep. Guarding principles.

From NFHS 4-23:

ART. 4 . . . Guarding an opponent with the ball or a stationary opponent without the ball:
a. No time or distance is required to obtain an initial legal position.
b. If the opponent with the ball is airborne, the guard must have obtained legal position before the opponent left the floor.
ART. 5 . . . Guarding a moving opponent without the ball:
a. Time and distance are factors required to obtain an initial legal position.
b. The guard must give the opponent the time and/or distance to avoid contact.
c. The distance need not be more than two strides.
d. If the opponent is airborne, the guard must have obtained legal position before the opponent left the floor.

If the airborne player secures control, the guard is not required to give time or distance. If the player does not secure control, time and distance is required.