Over the back, ON the back RM article

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by referee99

Play 2
A3 takes a leaning jump shot from the lane over B3. B3 is standing upright, but facing the basket with her hands extended straight upward. A3 makes contact with B3's hands and misses the shot.

Ruling 2: Foul by B3. While B3 was in a legally vertical position, she was not in a legal guarding position because she wasn't facing her opponent and should be called for blocking. Sadly, that concept is lost on the BCF.

A similar situation occurs when A3 drives the lane, picks up her dribble and then contacts B3, who is standing in the lane with her hands raised straight above her head. If B3 is facing A3, that is a charge. If B3 is not facing A3, even if she's turned away covering another player, it's a block by B3.

Looking at the rule on guarding and LGP, it appears the author of the article has a point.

RULE 4 SECTION 23 GUARDING

ART. 1 . . . Guarding is the act of legally placing the bodyin the path of an offensive opponent. .....

ART. 3 . . . After the initial legal guarding position is obtained:

c. The guard may raise hands or jump within his/her own vertical plane.

The rule basically says that the right to the the space above you depends on having LGP. If you don't have LGP, you can't extend your arms upward or jump and be protected from committing a foul in that space.

Whether you call it a block or illegal use of hands is a different issue, but the rule does support the authors claim that the defender doesn't get verticality if they don't have LGP.