Heading: Contact: General principles     Sub Heading: Guarding a player who controls the ball

"When guarding a player who controls (holding or dribbling) the ball, the elements of time and distance do not apply.

The player with the ball must expect to be guarded and must be prepared to stop or change direction whenever an opponent takes an initial legal guarding position in front of that offensive player, even if this is done within a fraction of a second.

The guarding (defensive) player must establish an initial legal guarding position without causing contact before establishing the defensive position.

Once the defensive player has established an initial legal guarding position, that player may move to guard the opponent, but may not extend the arms, shoulders, hips or legs to prevent the dribbler from passing by.

When judging a charge/block situation involving a player with the ball, a referee shall use the following principles:

• The defensive player must establish an initial legal guarding position by facing the player with the ball and having both feet on the court.

• The defensive player may remain stationary, jump vertically, move laterally or backwards in order to maintain the initial legal guarding position.

• When moving to maintain the initial legal guarding position, one foot or both feet may be off the court for an instant, as long as the movement is lateral or backwards, but not towards the player with the ball.

• Contact must occur on the torso, in which case the defensive player would be considered as having been at the place of contact first.

• Having established a legal guarding position, the defensive player may turn within the cylinder to avoid injury.

In any of the above situations, the contact shall be considered as having been caused by the player with the ball."