Bringing last message to a finish: another Basketball myth
says that "the defender must give the ball handler a step".
The rules philosophy is that the
player with the ball must expect to be guarded. Being set up an initial guarding position, any distance short of contact with the
ballhandler is legal.
In both cases referred to both myths there is an exception with an airborne player: if the defender set up position while the
ballhandler is in the air, a landing spot must be given to him. If the ballhandler lands
with both feet and then proceeds to contact the defender, the offensive player is
responsible for the contact and a forced
turnover against him is charged, meanwhile a forced steal is registered in
favor of the defender.
When we are defending a player without the ball, it is a "screening" situation,
which may require time and distance. In the cases referred in this topic, we call this
"guarding" situations which only require that a legal position must be set up,
which could be less than a step off.
Jorge Dunwhilly - eBA Stats Team - the
Basketball statistics forum
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