Legal Guarding Position?

[VaTerp]

Originally Posted by AllPurposeGamer

And under NBA rules, to legally get to that spot first, you must be there before the offensive player with the ball starts his upward motion.

This is a rules difference between NBA and NF/NCAA in that it requires the defender to be there a split second earlier.

After a quick google search I found this from Joe Borgia:

"What you want to know is: Is the defensive player's torso set in position before the offensive player begins his upward motion?

The defense can not slide into position after the offensive player has reached this stage.

Why did they set that standard at the moment of starting upward motion? Borgia says "because we had to set it somewhere." He adds that "the moment of alighting is too late.""

Good discussion. Obviously I had an incorrect interp going on in my head.