Oh what ASA has wrought

[Dakota]

My point was as mcrowder said, and the effect this has on people with a limited knowledge of the rules (many coaches, for example), and less-than-diligent umpires, and even some clinicians. I've heard this "blocking without the ball is OBS" repeated in nearly those words at rules clinics and in coaches' pre-tournament briefings by the UICs.

JMO, but the poor (i.e. wrong) statement in the POE is what much of this is based on. The coach's rantings in my play above was caused (IMO) by the coach being taught that blocking was OBS.

ASA needs to correct the POE. That won't fix the problem, but it will begin the process of getting it fixed. Trying to fix the misunderstandings is a difficult battle so long as that statement remains.