Restricted Area Rule: What DOES It Say? | The Boneyard

Restricted Area Rule: What DOES It Say?

JoePgh

Cranky pants and wise acre
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As you probably know, the "restricted area" is that arc under the basket which is colloquially called the "no charge" area. The basic idea of the rule is to disallow charging calls that occur when an offensive player drives into a defender who has established position so close to the basket that her feet are inside that arc.

But of course, the rule isn't that simple. For one thing, it only applies to "secondary defenders" -- s primary defender can establish position inside the arc and still draw a charge. It also doesn't apply if the defender tries to block the shot instead of just standing there and taking the charge. It also doesn't apply behind the backboard, so an offensive player driving the baseline can be called for a charge even if the defender seems to be in the restricted area.

Ok, so far I understand. But there was a play in the first half of the ND-Stanford game where someone drove to the basket to finish off a fast break, and knocked over her defender. It looked like a charge but the defender was in the restricted area, so it was called a block. I get that. But then the announcer said, "The restricted area doesn't come into play in transition -- in that case, all defenders are considered secondary defenders."

Was that just verbal diarrhea? If all defenders are secondary defenders, then the restricted area DOES come into play even in transition -- if you as a defender are in that area, you cannot take a charge.

I did a 10-minute Google search, and that explanations that I found (even in Wikipedia) were just as confused as the announcer.

Does anyone know what the rule book actually says about this? Can you explain it clearly? If so, you have an edge on every announcer and every source that I could find on Google.
 
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Great question. I've often wondered about how that rule is interpreted. Unfortunately, I have no clue what the rule actually is. However, thanks to your post, I understand it better than I did before!
 

Blueballer

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That's crazy. There are times when it isn't that easy to identify a "secondary defender". I knew about the behind the backboard thing but this secondary defender thing is pretty tough for a ref to judge sometimes with all that's going on in game action.
 
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My interpretation was during transition all defenders are considered secondary, so they can't take a charge in the restricted area on a fast break. It'll be called a blocking foul. I think you may be overthinking it, because it seems like what you wrote above made sense. Or maybe the announcer misspoke saying the restricted area doesn't come into play, when they really meant that you can't take a charge in it on a fast break.. meaning that it does take effect.
 

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