Commentators say the funniest things.

[M&M Guy]

And here's Dan Dakich's contribution, after a player slides on the floor and takes out an opponent's legs: "You can't call a foul on that, the ball was loose!"

...sigh...

[Nevadaref]

I've said this before, but the NBA rules are written to favor the offense and encourage high scoring games and allow for dunks. This is because the NBA executives and TV people believe that high scoring games sell more tickets and generate a larger viewing audience.
Want specific examples? -- The "upward motion" wording of the NBA's block/charge rule, the adding of the restricted area around the basket, the more liberal continuous motion rule.

This mentality filters down to the NCAA and HS levels, where in many cases the concepts aren't supported by the actual rules. How much did we hear about the defender being under the basket before the NCAA put in a rule with an imaginary area and then added the arc, and we still hear that complaint at the HS level.

The HS rules are still the more balanced between offense and defense. The NCAA is moving more toward the entertainment show that the NBA puts on.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

This mentality filters down to the NCAA and HS levels, where in many cases the concepts aren't supported by the actual rules. How much did we hear about the defender being under the basket before the NCAA put in a rule with an imaginary area and then added the arc, and we still hear that complaint at the HS level.

The HS rules are still the more balanced between offense and defense. The NCAA is moving more toward the entertainment show that the NBA puts on.

Actually the purpose of the rule was/is safety. The RA is in place to prevent unnecessary contact under the basket that was only intended to get a cheap foul or create contact that would ordinarily not take place. Actually I think the rule does just that and either makes the defender come out further from the basket to take a charge or they let the shooter go to the basket without a crash. I rarely see anyone in the HS game that tries to get a charge under the basket regardless of what the rule says.

Peace

[ballgame99]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

And here's Dan Dakich's contribution, after a player slides on the floor and takes out an opponent's legs: "You can't call a foul on that, the ball was loose!"

...sigh...

Your rule book doesn't say "in the event of a loose ball, anarchy shall ensue"??