Player Laying on the Floor

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by Rufus

I guess I need help with this one.

Is lying on the floor considered a "normal position?"

Rufus, forget legal guarding position. It's got dick-all to do with the call. Every player on the court is entitled to a legal position on the court. It says that specifically in the preamble of rule 4-23..."Every player is entitled to a spot on the playing court provided such player gets there first without illegally contacting an opponent.". That statement includes a player laying on the court.

If a player ran into the back of another player blocking out on a rebound, would you call the foul on the player blocking out because they didn't establish a legal guarding position?

Use the same concept for players laying on the floor.

[Rufus]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

If a player ran into the back of another player blocking out on a rebound, would you call the foul on the player blocking out because they didn't establish a legal guarding position?

Use the same concept for players laying on the floor.

I guess that's what I meant and took a really bad, long, way to get there. In your example I don't see advantage/disadvantage (i.e., player bounces off player boxing out). With a player falling over another player on the court I do (i.e., player falling while making move to shoot after securing a rebound). Would the rebounding player have tripped over the opposing player if they had been standing instead? Based on the interps you all are posting it would appear not to matter so I'm going to have to rethink this one, but I'm still having a hard time getting there.

Just so you know, one of the great expressions I've heard is that "ugly isn't always wrong and pretty isn't alway right." I have no issue with bodies colliding in a small space, just start questioning when one body is the cause of another one doing something it didn't intend to do (i.e., fall down).