What is Legal guarding position?

A legal guarding position is a defensive position where a defender has established their position in front of an offensive player, facing the opponent with both feet on the ground and their torso facing the offensive player. The defender must also be stationary or moving sideways or backward in order to maintain a legal guarding position.

When a defender has established a legal guarding position, they are entitled to the space they occupy and have the right to hold that position. This means that an offensive player cannot run through or push off the defender to create space without being called for a foul. However, a defender is not allowed to move into the path of an offensive player who is already in motion or jump into the path of an offensive player, as this would result in a blocking foul.

The concept of a legal guarding position is important because it determines whether a defender can draw a charging foul on an offensive player who is driving to the basket. If a defender has established a legal guarding position and an offensive player runs into them, the defensive player can draw a charging foul. However, if the defender is moving or is not in a legal guarding position, a blocking foul is called on the defender.