Basketball Statistics Blog

Sunday's Reflexions on Basketball Statistics:
SCREEN on the BALL ~ Stationary Position ?

Some reflections about the controversial sreen on the ball... when a screen is set on the offensive player who is dribbling; had the defender to be in a stationary position at least one full stride away from the person he is trying to screen ?

What is the rule and in case of infraction, which type of turnover is charged according to the eBA Basketball Statistics Analysis System ?

The defender must initially establish a legal guarding position. To establish this position, the player need to get both feet on the floor while facing his opponent. Once established, as long as the player maintains defensive position, the player does not have to be "stationary" or "planted" to draw a charge.

On the contrary to one of the Basketball myths, that "the defender has to be planted in a stationary position" we can say that in reality the defender must initially establish a legal guarding position. To set up this position he need to get both feet on the floor facing his opponent.

Photograph: Brian Laskowski in mLive.com

Once established, meanwhile the player maintains defensive position (throats crossed over the breast in order to avoid being beaten, in example), he does not have to be "standing still" or "planted" to pull a charge. The refs will generally call an offensive foul if a defender in a legal position makes contact in "the letters". Both feet do not have to be on the floor at the time of touch: the player could even be moving backwards to reduce strike risks.

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.

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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, according to our eBA Basketball Statistics Analysis System.

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.

Selected excerpts from the discussions at the eBA Annual Analysis System Clinic Chat about this topic "sreen on the ball".

This topic is resumed in the eBA Basketball Statistics Analysis System
at the eBA Encyclopedia > The Articles

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