LGP Defined

[OKREF]

Being in the path only applies to the definition of guarding..

Rule 4-23-1:
Guarding is the act of legally placing the body in the path of an offensive opponent. There is no minimum distance required between the guard and opponent, but the maximum is 6 feet when closely guarded. Every player is entitled to a spot on the playing court provided such player gets there first without *illegally contacting an opponent. A player who extends an arm, shoulder, hip or leg into the path of an opponent is not considered to have a legal position if contact occurs.


Legal guarding position is a different definition....

Rule 4-23-2

To obtain an initial legal guarding position:

a. The guard must have both feet touching the playing court.
b. The front of the guard's torso must be facing the opponent.


To obtain a legal guarding position you do not have to be in the path of the offensive player. To be guarding an offensive player you must be in his path.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by OKREF

Being in the path only applies to the definition of guarding..

Rule 4-23-1:
Guarding is the act of legally placing the body in the path of an offensive opponent. There is no minimum distance required between the guard and opponent, but the maximum is 6 feet when closely guarded. Every player is entitled to a spot on the playing court provided such player gets there first without *illegally contacting an opponent. A player who extends an arm, shoulder, hip or leg into the path of an opponent is not considered to have a legal position if contact occurs.


Legal guarding position is a different definition....

Rule 4-23-2

To obtain an initial legal guarding position:

a. The guard must have both feet touching the playing court.
b. The front of the guard's torso must be facing the opponent.


To obtain a legal guarding position you do not have to be in the path of the offensive player. To be guarding an offensive player you must be in his path.

Incorrect.

LGP is a special case of guarding. You can not have legal GUARDING position of you are not GUARDING.

If it were as you suggest, a defender could be chasing an opponent from behind (2 feet down and facing), pass them, then step across into their path with their back to them just as contact occurs and it would be a charge. We never call it that way....ever. I have never seen anyone at any level call it that way.

Furthermore, if your interpretation were true, everyone would have LGP the entire game once they faced each opponent with their feet down just once somewhere on the floor.

Even more so, your interpretation would permit a defender to move under an airborne opponent since your definition of legal position only involves stance and not position and the rule on airborne opponents only requires "legal position" and that could be satisfied even outside the path and moving under after the opponent was airborne.

Simply put, the definitions of LGP just don't work at all unless it includes the path.

[OKREF]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

Incorrect.

LGP is a special case of guarding. You can not have legal GUARDING position of you are not GUARDING.

If it were as you suggest, a defender could be chasing an opponent from behind (2 feet down and facing), pass them, then step across into their path with their back to them just as contact occurs and it would be a charge. We never call it that way....ever. I have never seen anyone at any level call it that way.

Furthermore, if your interpretation were true, everyone would have LGP the entire game once they faced each opponent with their feet down just once somewhere on the floor.

Even more so, your interpretation would permit a defender to move under an airborne opponent since your definition of legal position only involves stance and not position and the rule on airborne opponents only requires "legal position" and that could be satisfied even outside the path and moving under after the opponent was airborne.

Simply put, the definitions of LGP just don't work at all unless it includes the path.

That wasn't an interpretation, that was verbatim from the rule book.

[Adam]

If a dribbler is retreating, his defender still has LGP. I'm also maintaining my five second count.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by OKREF

That wasn't an interpretation, that was verbatim from the rule book.

The 2 passages below are not verbatim from the rule book, they are your interpretations

Originally Posted by OKREF

Being in the path only applies to the definition of guarding..

....


To obtain a legal guarding position you do not have to be in the path of the offensive player. To be guarding an offensive player you must be in his path.

The interpretation I use to establish LGP is "...the act of legally placing the body in the path of an offensive opponent." plus 4-23-2a&b.

[OKREF]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

The 2 passages below are not verbatim from the rule book, they are your interpretations




The interpretation I use to establish LGP is "...the act of legally placing the body in the path of an offensive opponent." plus 4-23-2a&b.

Fair enough. However, the NFHS definition of initial legal guarding position does not include " being in the path of the offensive player"

[APG]

Pretty sure that NFHS assumed that since they defined guarding as an act of placing one's body in the path of an opponent, that they didn't have to include that portion in a section about legal guarding position.

[OKREF]

Originally Posted by APG

Pretty sure that NFHS assumed that since they defined guarding as an act of placing one's body in the path of an opponent, that they didn't have to include that portion in a section about legal guarding position.

You're right.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by APG

Pretty sure that NFHS assumed that since they defined guarding as an act of placing one's body in the path of an opponent, that they didn't have to include that portion in a section about legal guarding position.

Exactly...it is implied by the location in the guarding rule and is assumed that you don't have to redefine each term every time it is used.