Excessive swinging of elbows

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

Well, I was agreeing with you but now you've clarified again such that I don't.

Making a legal pivot doesn't imply that a player can legally make contact. I can think of several otherwise legal actions that, once contact is included, become a foul.

Imagine a player, A1, holding the ball with B1 having textbook LGP just 1" off of A1's left hip. A1 now pivots such that the left foot is his pivot foot. A1 pivots 360 degrees....but to do so A1 had to displace B1 since there is no way A1 could pivot through all 360 degrees without passing through the space occupied by B1. It doesn't matter if the contact was with the butt, elbow, knee, belly, etc....extended or otherwise. It is still a foul on A1. But, had B1 not been in that spot with LGP, it would have been a pefectly legal pivot.

What I read the POE is to say is that, short of excessive swigning, that typical elbow contact can usually be ruled incidental. But it stops short of saying that all elbow contact is legal as long as it is not excessive.

Thank you Camron. As I stated in my most recent post, I have no idea why the NFHS and NCAA Rules Committees would use the word "legal" with the word pivot. Just say pivot, and if the player with the ball pivots in such a manner that causes illegal contact with the defender then the player with the ball has committed a foul.

MTD, Sr.