The Call Most Often, or Most Egregiously, Missed

[Camron Rust]

Originally posted by ChuckElias

Ok, I re-read it. I'm sorry, but it's still wrong. What do you think I've missed? Jumping first has absolutely nothing to do with who is responsible for the contact. Can you show any rule that would support your statement to that effect?

And I'll say it again, although it may not be directly on point. If a player jumps, s/he is not entitled to land on any spot that was unoccupied when he/she jumped. You're only entitled to an unoccupied spot if you can get there without making contact with an opponent who has a legal position on the floor.

As far as Nick van Exel's situation goes, I do not reward an offensive player who unnaturally extends his/her body in order to initiate contact with a defender. Around here, we call that "bailing out" the shooter.

Chuck

I partially agree with Chuck.

The only place it talks about players with regards to position and jumping is:

Rule 4-23. GUARDING
Art. 1...Guarding is the act of legally placing the body in the path of an offensive opponent.
Art. 4...Guarding an opponent with the ball or a stationary opponent without the ball:
b. If the opponent with the ball is airborne, the guard must have obtained legal position before the opponent left the floor.


So, the "having a place to land" is mentioned only in guarding an offensive opponent. The defender isn't given the right of a place to land by this rule.

The other rule that comes into play is legal guarding position. If the defender, having obtained an initial legal guarding position, has jumped laterally or obliquely away from the shooter (not towards the shooter) and the contact is in the front of the defender's torso, this is still legal guarding position. Remember that no feet have to be on the floor to remain in LGP. Only the direction of movement matters. This should be a PC foul.

If that jump is towards the shooter in any way, block.

In 99.9% of these cases, the jump will obliquely towards the shooter (aiming to pass by the shooter's side). Contact will usually be a block. However, if the shooter has to go out of a natural path for the shot just for the purpose of creating contact, I'll not reward him with a foul against the defender. I might even call the PC foul.