Player starting to fall in anticipation of charge

[GoodwillRef]

Turn or Duck...where does it say falling is still legal?

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by GoodwillRef

Turn or Duck...where does it say falling is still legal?

Falling without any contact is very different than starting to fall before contact. Two different things.

Peace

[justacoach]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Falling without any contact is very different than starting to fall before contact. Two different things.

Peace

Right on, Rut!!!
Never truer words spoken

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by GoodwillRef

Turn or Duck...where does it say falling is still legal?

What is the intent of "turn or duck"? It's that the player is not required to "stand in there and take it" for this to be a foul. The purpose of turning or ducking is self-preservation. So is starting to fall before contact (setting aside any argument about faking being fouled).

But if you want something else to hang your hat on, then consider that a defender, planted in the ball handler's path has established LGP. And one provision of LGP is: "The guard may move laterally or obliquely to maintain position, provided it is not toward the opponent when contact occurs."

Falling backward, as Jeff pointed out earlier, is not movement "toward the opponent".