One Foot on the Line, The Sequel

[A Pennsylvania Coach]

Originally posted by mick
4-23 Clarified that in order for a player to establish legal guarding position, both feet must be touching the “playing court.”

This rule merely removes the opportunity of a defender to legally take a charge on his torso by moving laterally and maintaining legal guarding position while being out-of-bounds.
If the offensive player sees and goes toward a seam between a defender and the line, the defender, stepping out-of bounds, though maintaining, is now blocking.
mick

The word is that the rule book says that you must have both feet in bounds to ESTABLISH legal guarding position.

It has been interpreted to mean that if the defender, after gaining legal guarding position, moves laterally and takes the charge but is out of bounds, blocking should be called. That, however, is NOT what the RULE says.