L of a play

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

So whenever a player reaches out to grab a ball over an opponent's head, that opponent would be smart to reach up and smack his arms away.

Depends...the rules say a player can raise their arms up and/or jump...verticality. If they remain in their vertical space, and are doing what the rule expressly says is permitted and contact is involved I am not calling a foul. However, that is not the same as swatting them back and forth and causing contact...they can raise them and only raise them.

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

That fits your description of a legal play. BTW I notice that you didn't respond to my "George Gervin" example.

Didn't see that post.....no foul if the defenders arms were being raised straight up. The shooter has to expect that the defender will strectch to fully occupy the spot legally obtained.

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

Screening is a contact situation. The rules are specifically written with the expectation that contact will occur. Therefore, it would be dangerous to allow players to extend their arms and elbows as if blocking like an offensive lineman. A screener must allow the opponent to come to him and cause the contact. That is why screening isn't a foul. If the screener reaches out and causes the contact that's illegal.

Exactly...and the same principle applies...arms extended outside of a player's vertical space are not protected if the other player has remained in their vertical space.

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

That is completely different from this situation in which the player is not attempting to cause contact. He is jumping and/or reaching over an opponent to catch the ball. He is not the one who is causing any contact. It is the player who reacts late who causes the contact.

That player is invading the space of the opponent and will be guilty of the foul if there is contact that causes an advantage. If the player never jumps or attempts to go for the ball, there is likley no advantage but if the ball is above the players head, he/she has every right to jump and/or reach up for that ball. When their is contact, any player who has violated another player's vertical space has caused the contact and has fouled by being in an illegal position.