Can A Dribbler Set Her Own Screen ???
 

Varsity girls scrimmage today. I'm the odd man out sitting at the scoretable.

White player makes a steal at halfcourt and starts a breakaway to the basket. Blue defender, a very fast player, is about to catch up to White, so White purposely dribbles directly in front of Blue to prevent her from catching up to, and passing her, kind of like setting her own screen, as the ball handler. As they approach the basket White decides stop short, maybe figuring Blue will go past her, leaving her with a little "bunny" layup. The problem is, Blue doesn't go past White, but runs directly into White, knocking White to the floor before White can even start her shooting motion. Lead official charges Blue with a common foul.

Blue coach, who is a few feet away from me, says to me, "Isn't that like a screen? Doesn't the offensive player have to give the moving defender time and distance?" I only give it half a thought and reply that the player behind the play is "more responsible" for the contact, and thus the call was correct. He accepted my explanation.

On the drive home, I rethought the play. Was the call correct? Is this play a "guarding" situation, or a "screening" situation, or both?

. Either way, it's a defensive foul. The player in trail has the respobsibility to avoid contact when two players are taking the same path.

It's The Tryptophan Talkiing ...
 

If what you say is true, and I'm not saying that it isn't, then I gave a pretty good explanation to the coach. Not bad for a 10:00 a.m. scrimmage. Imagine how good my answer would have been if I had been fully awake.

Everybody agree with Snaqwells?

4-40-6

Pick A Prize From The Top Shelf ...
 

Bingo.

Thanks to Snaqwells and BktBallRef.

Maybe I should work all my games in the morning. Apparently I do my best work when I'm half asleep?

I've heard that! :p

Surely you jest.

That's such a setup....... ;)

Yeah, I've been doing this a looong time
 

Quote: "Isn't that like a screen? Doesn't the offensive player have to give the moving defender time and distance?"
It may be 30 years or more, ago, this was the interpretation. It lasted, I think, just one year.

It IS like a screen, and the screening rules apply.

when a defender does not have LGP and causes illegal contact - then the defender has committed a foul. forget about the "screening" aspect of this play....the defender has interrupted the rythm, speed, balance, & quickness of the ball handler.

Billy:

Tony gave the correct NFHS Rules reference (the NCAA Rules for Guarding and Screening are the same as the NFHS). And your play is covered by NFHS R4-S40-A6.

Everybody should remember that:

1) The Guarding rules apply to only players who are on defense, that means that one team has TC and the other team does not. The Guarding rules do not apply when there is no TC by either team.

2) The Screening rules apply to all players (both offense and defense when there is TC by one of the teams) and when there is no TC by either team.

Therefore, A1 who has PC can set screens and must follow the Screening rules. That also means that A1, while in PC, can be guilty of a blocking foul. A good example is A1 is stationary and facing her basket while dribbling the ball in her front court half way between the top of the key and the Center Circle on a line between the two baskets. B1 is running (at full speed) from A's backcourt to A's front court in a straight line that parallels the line between the two baskets; her path will take her just to the right of A1. Just as B1 is going to pass A1, A1 dribbles into B1's path and B1 runs into A1. This is a blocking foul by A1 because A1 did not give Time-and-Distance when setting her screen on B1.

I had this play in a 14U game in the Conn. Starters Girls Summer Classic in Hartford, CT, about ten years ago; it was quickly followed by a TF on Team A's HC, :eek:.

MTD, Sr.

MTD, Sr.

Keep Out The Rif Raf ...
 

Which is the main reason why we have hired more highly qualified border guards here in the Constitution State.

Same as driving a car..........you rear end someone(pun intended) you're at fault.

Always An Exception To The Rule ...
 

Unless their brake lights didn't work.

PC-screen
 

How about the dribble-handoff a lot of teams run with their motion or flex offense? Many times that play looks a lot like a moving screen to me.

Assuming the "moving screen" to which you refer is illegal, you should call it until they stop.

It can be. One that you'll see occasionally is where a A2 curls around the A1 (who is holding the ball). As A2 passes A1, A1 pivots into the path of B2 who was guarding A2 and while passing the ball to A2 who is now heading down the lane for an undefended layup. It gets missed more than it is probably called, but that is an illegal screen.

Could be, assuming there is contact; but quite often A1 pivots and continues to move (roll) anticipating a possible return pass. In these cases I would think A1 is no longer screening and the contact most likely would be incidental, would you agree?

This play would have to be judged on an individual basis. But intent is not the main concern here. Even if A1's movement is in anticipation of a return pass, if in doing so he hip-checks a defender and hinders his progress he can still be called for a foul.

If A1 pivots and, in doing so, knocks B2 off of A2, it IS a screen no matter what A1 wanted to do. Usually when I see this, it was contact that freed up A2 who is now going down the lane with the ball undefended.

I agree with that situation. However, most often when I see this play A1 pivots out of his screen soon enough to block the defender's path (the defender is momentarily caught behind A1) as A1 continues his roll toward the basket. The defender, either surprised or not wanting to cause contact into the back of A1 stops or adjusts his path and there is no obvious contact so play on, correct?

Right, if while pivoting A1 contacts B2 we've got to call something-if not an illegal screen then charging. But as I replied to JAR, in our area players seem adept at pivoting out of the set screen early enough to block the path of the defender without causing contact. When I was in high school and when I coached we ran a "shuffle" offense where the wing opposite the ball would cut off the high post and if the defender tried to go around underneath, the post would pivot right into his path and keep right on going toward the basket. Never once had it called; but then how could it? The sudden pivot caused the defender to hesitate which is all the cutter or dribbler needed.

Correct. A little information is a dangerous thing, and this is an example. Many coaches yell "Moving screen! He can't do that!" But there was no contact, so there is no infraction.