B-ball rules

[lmanchur.]

(please answer as it applies to the NBA -- not NCAA or something like that)

I have two questions that I've never been able to figure out:

1) What is "illegal defence?"
2) Is travelling three steps or two? I always thought it was two, but I consistently see people taking three steps without dribbling (e.g.: Kobe did a great dunk yetserday but I am SURE he took three steps), so I was just checkin'!

[Marc]

1. What is "illegal defense"?
Illegal defense is when the defensive player moves more to a zone than man-to-man - zone in the NBA, unlike the NCAA, isn't allowed.

I'm not sure how many steps traveling is, anyone know?

[Nate]

I think it is called travelling on the third step. I think you can get away with "2 and a half" steps, though a third usually isnt called.

[Wedge231]

Whatever the ruling is people get away with it a lot. Helps if you're a all star player also.

[lmanchur.]

Originally posted by M. James
1. What is "illegal defense"?
Illegal defense is when the defensive player moves more to a zone than man-to-man - zone in the NBA, unlike the NCAA, isn't allowed.

I don't know what "zone" defense is...

"allowed to play only in a certain part of the court on defence" would be my definition of "zone defence"... am I correct? How can they limit what type of defence a team runs!? I don't understand.

[Spike]

Originally posted by SC-Lee:

I don't know what "zone" defense is...

"allowed to play only in a certain part of the court on defence" would be my definition of "zone defence"... am I correct?

That is correct.

How can they limit what type of defence a team runs!? I don't understand.

Well the N.B.A. wants you play man-to-man. The refs can stop it if they see you're playing a spot on the floor, like as a defensive player at first you stay with your man (who doesn't have the ball) but then pretend like you're going to double team the guy with the ball, but actually stay in-between where your man is and where the guy who has the ball is. That's like a zone. And it's illegal because you're not guarding anybody. You're guarding the spot on the floor in-between the guy your assigned to play defense on and the ball-handler. That's illegal defense.

It's also illegal defense if you double team a guy who doesn't have the ball. Like if Kobe Bryant doesn't have the ball, you can't have 2 guys on him denying him from catching the ball.

When the refs see either of these 2 things they will first blow the whistle and call it a "warning" and the 2nd time and beyond when they see this and call it they give the team who has the ball a free throw and let them in-bound the ball again.

[lmanchur.]

Wwwweeeelllll.....

that seems kind of odd and a little hard to understand for one who likes the game, but doesn't fully understand the rules. I'll have to keep an eye out for that next time I watch a game on TV.

Right now (or maybe it's just how it is), but it's like saying that baseball teams can't play a shallow outfield, or hockey teams can't play a box on the penalty kill.

[lmanchur.]

Sorry, but it seems that none of you were over at the hockey forum when I announced that hockey isn't in as bad of a shape as I thought in the US of A... after all, the NBA is operating its arenas, on average, at only 84% capacity this season, while the NHL is four-point-one percent higher at 88.1%

Ouch... that's gotta hurt. I didn't even think the NHL had that many fans, let alone more fans than NBA fans!.

Come on!... Answer my questions, please!... Reject a fan, lose a fan.

Originally posted by ME four days ago...
Maybe it's just how it is, but to me, it's like saying that baseball teams can't play a shallow outfield, or hockey teams can't play a box on the penalty kill."

So IS that how it is? That seems kind of weird... I just don't get it... so could someone clarify for me?

[Marc]

Originally posted by SC-Lee
Ouch... that's gotta hurt. I didn't even think the NHL had that many fans, let alone more fans than NBA fans!
It's not that the NBA doesn't have fans, it's that the ticket prices are so outrageous that no one wants to waste their money on going to a game when they can see it from the comfort of their home. ;)

And I'm not so sure I even understand your question, Lee...

[lmanchur.]

Well, the "illegal defense" rule just seems kind of strange. To me, it's like saying to a MLB team that they can't play a shallow outfield, or bring in their infield. I don't understand it. Can you give a more & better explanation?

[Jersey Devil]

The reason the rule is there is obviously to quicken up the pace of games and make it more exciting. Players now have the chance to break their men down one-on-one. The players don't have to settle for jump shots and outside shots (and thank god for that ... I can count the number of pure shooters in the league on one hand).

[Spike]

Originally posted by SC-Lee:

Sorry, but it seems that none of you were over at the hockey forum when I announced that hockey isn't in as bad of a shape as I thought in the US of A... after all, the NBA is operating its arenas, on average, at only 84% capacity this season, while the NHL is four-point-one percent higher at 88.1%

Ouch... that's gotta hurt. I didn't even think the NHL had that many fans, let alone more fans than NBA fans!.

I was going over old posts on this board and I have a comment on something here.

I'll be the first to admit the N.B.A. is in trouble with T.V. ratings going down and attendance but you're not going to convince me that the N.H.L. has more fans than basketball here in the U.S.

Because I remember last year at this time, the Opening Day of the W.N.B.A. got higher ratings than the Stanley Cup Finals. I remember this because it was a topic on some of the radio shows out here that the W.N.B.A. outdrew the Hockey games by about 8 million on T.V. That's an "ouch" in itself for Hockey here as far as I'm concerned.

[lmanchur.]

...I never mentioned anything about NHL TV audiences in the United States, did I! :D ...I said the number of fans in the ARENA.

[Marc]

Originally posted by Spike


I was going over old posts on this board and I have a comment on something here.

I'll be the first to admit the N.B.A. is in trouble with T.V. ratings going down and attendance but you're not going to convince me that the N.H.L. has more fans than basketball here in the U.S.

Because I remember last year at this time, the Opening Day of the W.N.B.A. got higher ratings than the Stanley Cup Finals. I remember this because it was a topic on some of the radio shows out here that the W.N.B.A. outdrew the Hockey games by about 8 million on T.V. That's an "ouch" in itself for Hockey here as far as I'm concerned.

I think the sagging ratings are drastically overrated. I've heard the playoffs have been getting solid ratings this year in the playoffs.

[lmanchur.]

....are you talking NBA or NHL, Marc?

NHL -- not sure about ABC & ESPN, but I think they are a bit higher this year... Mario's playoff run really helped that out... but during the regular season, ABC pulled a "Canada" and aired Saturday hockey games... well, I guess Saturday hockey isn't quite as popular in the USA as it is in Canada, so ABCs ratings were wwwwaaaaayyyyy down from last year, when they aired Sunday games.

Also, NHL playoff ratings in Canada nearly reached an all-time high in Game 6 of the Toronto/New Jersey series with over 3 million people!!!... the first time over 3 million watched a playoff game since the 1994 Game Seven final between the Rangers and Canucks!

[Marc]

Originally posted by SC-Lee
....are you talking NBA or NHL, Marc?
Lee - I was referring to the NBA.

Originally posted by SC-Lee
Also, NHL playoff ratings in Canada nearly reached an all-time high in Game 6 of the Toronto/New Jersey series with over 3 million people!!!... the first time over 3 million watched a playoff game since the 1994 Game Seven final between the Rangers and Canucks!
I guess that's Canada, but that's really in the U.S. Big events from Survivor to the Super Bowl get ratings in the 20's - with twenty plus million people watching.

[Spike]

Originally posted by SC-Lee:

...I never mentioned anything about NHL TV audiences in the United States, did I! :D ...I said the number of fans in the ARENA.

Okay, you’re right. :)

I thought you were implying that hockey was more popular that basketball here in the U.S. and just basing that solely on the attendance numbers.

Originally posted by SC-Lee:

....are you talking NBA or NHL, Marc?

NHL -- not sure about ABC & ESPN, but I think they are a bit higher this year... Mario's playoff run really helped that out... but during the regular season, ABC pulled a "Canada" and aired Saturday hockey games... well, I guess Saturday hockey isn't quite as popular in the USA as it is in Canada, so ABCs ratings were wwwwaaaaayyyyy down from last year, when they aired Sunday games.

Yeah actually I read that recently in the T.V. Guide. They said that five Saturday-afternoon regular-season N.H.L. games on A.B.C. averaged a 1.1 rating (one rating point on A.B.C. equals 1.02 million households). On E.S.P.N., the N.H.L. telecasts averaged 0.59 (with one ratings point equaling 820,000 households on E.S.P.N.). That A.B.C. rating is comparable to X.F.L. type numbers.

[lmanchur.]

Another question about basketball rules... this time concerning time outs.

How many time outs does each team get?... I don't know because in my NBA Live 2000 computer game by EA Sports, I get seven for the entire GAME, but if I have six or something left at the end of the 3rd, they cut it down to 4...

...originally, I thought you got so many per half like football, but I guess I was wrong.... can anyone fill me in? Thanks.

[Spike]

Hey Lee, I wasn't sure either but that video game you have there is right on because I found this from rulescentral.com:

VII: Regular Timeout: 100 Seconds

a. Each team is entitled to seven (7) charged timeouts during regulation play. Each team is limited to no more than four (4) timeouts in the fourth period and no more than three (3) timeouts in the last two minutes of regulation play. (This is in addition to one 20-second timeout per half.)

b. In overtime periods each team shall be allowed three (3) timeouts regardless of the number of timeouts called or remaining during regulation play or previous overtimes. There is no restriction as to when a team must call its timeouts during any overtime period.

[lmanchur.]

Thanks!

[TheRocketGuy]

Rules in the NBA are mostly about who you are. If you are Patrick Ewing, you can take 5 steps across the lane before you shoot and it is not a travel. If you are Allen Iverson, palming the ball as you run down the floor is entirely legal. If you are Kobe, they don't count your steps, if you are Shaq you can throw everyone out of the way, step on them, and dunk on them. They'll even loosen a backboard ocassionally in the hopes that you will bring it down. If you are Karl Malone you are allowed to knock other players unconscious with your swinging elbows. If you are John Stockton you can pull a player down on top of you and get a foul called against them.

Don't even get me started about the "FLOP." :redhot:

Rules are all about who you are. A rookie can't get a foul call, no matter how blatant. A veteran won't get called for a 6th foul unless it is a flagrant or his team is comfortably ahead. Travelling is what every player does when they get the ball. Status determines whether or not it is called and with what frequency. If the Rockets are beating the Lakers by 6 with 2:00 to go, you can count on Steve Francis being called for a travel, Hakeem getting thrown to the floor by Shaq (no call), and Kobe drawing a foul whether there is one or not.

That's the frustrating side of the NBA. Who are you? Where do you play? How many endorsements do you do? How marketable are you? These are the things that determine which rules apply to you and when.

Shaq says NBA stands for "Nothing But Actors." Sadly, he is right.

The Rocket Guy
http://www.TheRocketGuy.com

[lmanchur.]

Originally posted by TheRocketGuy
Shaq says NBA stands for "Nothing But Actors." Sadly, he is right.] Oh....... I thoguht that was the WWF's slogan... :D sorry about that ;)

[Ross]

Originally posted by TheRocketGuy
If you are Karl Malone you are allowed to knock other players unconscious with your swinging elbows. If you are John Stockton you can pull a player down on top of you and get a foul called against them.



If you are Dallas you don't get away with anything because owners like me piss off officials and call every ticky-tack foul on us so I can hunt them down after the game.
-Mark Cuban's False Interpretation of Rules