Sure it is Much Easier to Play Defense Today if You Can Hold, Hand Check and Grab

Many basketball people think and say that there is better defense played today then there was in the 50’s 60’s 70’s or 80’s.

I answer that with, it is sure easier if you are allowed to hold, grab and handcheck offensive players. That does not take skill that just takes illegal play that is not called.

Keeping the triangle of the ball, you and your man is a difficult skill if you are not allowed to hand check the man you are guarding without the ball.

HAND CHECKING the man you are guarding who has the ball is alot easier then moving your feet to keep up with the dribbler as handchecking slows the dribbler down. These illegal tactic defintely give the defense an advantage.

Hands and forearms on the backs of post players is also illegalm but certainly give an advantage to thre defense if not called.

There is more pass interference in basketball that is not called than is not called because in football you can only bump the pass receiver once at the line of scrimmage and after that initial bump it is pass interference on any bump or contact with the player on his pass route until he catches the ball.. A player cutting towards the basket in basketball many times to receive a pass is bumped, hipped and jostled, grabbed or held etc. on his route to the hoop and the pass.

That is pass interference in a collision sport like football, basketball is a contact s[ort not a collision sport.Sure the scores are lower in the SMAA Western Maine Basketbrawl League and they are a little higher in the Central Maine Bully Ball League compared to how these illegal fouls are handled in Eastern, Downeast and Northern Maine.

And remember come tournament time with 3 officials more of these illegal tactics will be called because 6 eyes see more than 4 eyes do.

It is easy to sit in the stands and say that this is the way basketball defenses should be played, because proponents of this style of defense are not the ones that are being manhandled, assaulted and molested by defensive players.

Do you think an official or a coach for that matter could do his/her job well if they were being held, handchecked, pushed and bumped as they reffed or coached the game as offensive dribblers and cutting players are during their games?

Proponents of this style of defense should read rule 10-6-1 of the IAABO Rule Book before declaring this illegal style of defense is legal by the rules….Change the rules then I will agree with you………but until that happens teams should be taught to play by the rules and the officisls should enforce the rules of 10-6-1.

Defense has not gotten better …..it is just that it is many teams play illegally and many of the policemen are not enforcing the law.