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What is a charge?

you_dont_know_me

Well-Known Member
Mar 9, 2003
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The Sticks of Missouri
Gotta love those games where there are 3 charges called under one basket and none on the other...is there an official out there that can tell us the philosophy or rule of thumb on it? When in doubt is it not a charge? What do people look for?

Just trying to start up a chat...I'm not going after officials...I just think it is a problem at times, no fault of their own collectively.
 
Talked to a Big 12 official this summer @ AAU event in Wichita. He agreed with me that the block/charge play should be taken out of rule books. He said too hard to interpret in minds of officials. I have thought this for years and finally got a big time well known official to agree. Probably never happen but would solve a lot of problems.
 
Talked to a Big 12 official this summer @ AAU event in Wichita. He agreed with me that the block/charge play should be taken out of rule books. He said too hard to interpret in minds of officials. I have thought this for years and finally got a big time well known official to agree. Probably never happen but would solve a lot of problems.
What exactly did you mean "taken out of the rule book"?

It's definitely a hard call but something has to be called when contact happens and it can't always be on the defense or the game would get silly.
 
The 2nd defender sliding over & taking a charge when a player drives to the hole is what I & the official were referring to. The NCAA tried to do this a couple of years ago & just were not clear on what they meant.
 
I personally think charge attempts are not rewarded enough in lower levels...in high school (i've commented this before) I feel that regions and classes of basketball in MO the officiating is done completely different. I realize athleticism, skill, matchup dicate some of these interpretations, but not sure they should...
 
Gotta love those games where there are 3 charges called under one basket and none on the other...is there an official out there that can tell us the philosophy or rule of thumb on it? When in doubt is it not a charge? What do people look for?

Just trying to start up a chat...I'm not going after officials...I just think it is a problem at times, no fault of their own collectively.


My wife can tell you. She knows how to charge.
 
The 2nd defender sliding over & taking a charge when a player drives to the hole is what I & the official were referring to. The NCAA tried to do this a couple of years ago & just were not clear on what they meant.
I don't see how you can enforce a rule that says the person guarding the player with the ball is the only one that can draw a charge. The help defense is nearly always the one that draws a charge because he slides over to help stop the dribbler from going to the basket and he has to get there before the player driving leaves the floor for the layup. It's much harder for the primary defender to get in position to draw a charge, they usually only get that call if the offensive players pushes off his defender. I guess they're trying to take good defense out of the game? If the secondary defender slides over the ball handler has the option to find the open man that he left rather than run over the next man in line of defense.
 
I don't see how you can enforce a rule that says the person guarding the player with the ball is the only one that can draw a charge. The help defense is nearly always the one that draws a charge because he slides over to help stop the dribbler from going to the basket and he has to get there before the player driving leaves the floor for the layup. It's much harder for the primary defender to get in position to draw a charge, they usually only get that call if the offensive players pushes off his defender. I guess they're trying to take good defense out of the game? If the secondary defender slides over the ball handler has the option to find the open man that he left rather than run over the next man in line of defense.
Coach Bess might go ahead and retire if this rule change ever came to be. :)
 
I don't see how you can enforce a rule that says the person guarding the player with the ball is the only one that can draw a charge. The help defense is nearly always the one that draws a charge because he slides over to help stop the dribbler from going to the basket and he has to get there before the player driving leaves the floor for the layup. It's much harder for the primary defender to get in position to draw a charge, they usually only get that call if the offensive players pushes off his defender. I guess they're trying to take good defense out of the game? If the secondary defender slides over the ball handler has the option to find the open man that he left rather than run over the next man in line of defense.

The secondary defender rule started when I was in college and is often misinterpreted. A secondary defender can still take a charge just not in the restricted area. Primary defenders can take a charge in the restricted though.

This is by far the hardest rule to enforce, especially in close games when the fans are loud and do not understand that a player can still be moving and take a charge.

In high school I think we should put in a physical restricted area. It seems like officials try to use a restricted area which I am ok with, but without it physically being on the floor its sometimes hard to know where guys are standing when the play occurs.
 
A restricted area would be a step in the right direction. The game has become way too physical and part of that is bodies flying around when guys try to take charges . Officials have no consistency with what is and what is not a charge. The restricted area labeled on the floor would help some.
 
The secondary defender rule started when I was in college and is often misinterpreted. A secondary defender can still take a charge just not in the restricted area. Primary defenders can take a charge in the restricted though.

This is by far the hardest rule to enforce, especially in close games when the fans are loud and do not understand that a player can still be moving and take a charge.

In high school I think we should put in a physical restricted area. It seems like officials try to use a restricted area which I am ok with, but without it physically being on the floor its sometimes hard to know where guys are standing when the play occurs.
Yeah the line around the rim extended should help but I see them say the defender was inside the line when they weren't many times. Just glad I ain't the one trying to watch all that stuff at the same time when standing right next to them on the floor. It really us easier to see some things from the bleachers. :D
 
Officiating basketball is super difficult I'm sure. You have to make a snap judgement, which always leads to inaccuracies, plus your whistle stops play, which irritates fans naturally, because we all want the game to continue.

I just want to see charges called more frequently or at least consistent from game to game and crew to crew, call me a purist or an old fuddy-duddy. If a kid sells out, whether it be on a pass or a shot, give it to them. I don't care if the score isn't competitive. Reward the most selfless act you can do on a basketball court. :)

I was hoping an official would anonymously tell us what their rule of thumb is on them...surely there is an adage or unwritten rule they go by.
 
Officiating basketball is super difficult I'm sure. You have to make a snap judgement, which always leads to inaccuracies, plus your whistle stops play, which irritates fans naturally, because we all want the game to continue.

I just want to see charges called more frequently or at least consistent from game to game and crew to crew, call me a purist or an old fuddy-duddy. If a kid sells out, whether it be on a pass or a shot, give it to them. I don't care if the score isn't competitive. Reward the most selfless act you can do on a basketball court. :)

I was hoping an official would anonymously tell us what their rule of thumb is on them...surely there is an adage or unwritten rule they go by.

No doubt reffing has to be tough, and I personally try not to get to upset about close block/charge calls not going my way. Way to hard to get right every time and extremely difficult to see. The restricted line isn't perfect but I think it would help refs determine if the guy was to far under the basket or not.
 
No doubt reffing has to be tough, and I personally try not to get to upset about close block/charge calls not going my way. Way to hard to get right every time and extremely difficult to see. The restricted line isn't perfect but I think it would help refs determine if the guy was to far under the basket or not.
I've never understood why you can be too far under the basket to draw a charge but they can still call blocking foul on the play. If you're not 'in position to defend the basket' then why is it blocking foul with 2 shots awarded? If weren't defending the basket you surely cannot be called for a 2 shot foul.
 
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