NFHS emphasis on elbow contact

[rwest]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

It is the context. The case is under legal guarding position. If a player isn't moving, they don't need legal guarding position.

The FED does not want a defender to be able to straddle the sideline or end line to cut off the offense. That's why they came up with the case play several years ago. They figured we don't allow the offense to run out of bounds so we can't allow the defense to set up out of bounds. The context is not as clear as you seem to think. At least not in my mind. LGP can start with a stationary player. LGP allows them to move to maintain it as long as the do so legally. Moving to have one foot out of bounds is not a legal defense and is not maintaining legal guarding position. If they can't be moving with one foot out of bounds why can they move to a stationary position with one foot out of bounds? Just because a defender is stationary does not mean he is legal. There are other rules that come into play. And I made the same argument you made about it being open season on defenders when this new ruling came out. Our VP of training said that straddling the line is not legal.

And before someone makes the argument about a stationary player with his back to the offense that never had LGP, the answer to that is that everyone is entitled to a spot on the floor as long as they got there legally. Also provided that spot is on the floor. Not out of bounds on live ball action.