What is goaltending in basketball ? Guide
Well, there has been a time when the players used to block or stop any shot in the air. They dominated the basketball game. To change the situation the concept of goaltending violation got invented. But it is very confusing and hard to recognize one.
No need to worry! Here in this article, we are going to present what is goaltending in basketball, goaltending violations, its working, and penalties
Goaltending is to illegally block the basketball when there is a great chance of scoring. It is an offense and is usually done by touching the ball when it is above or on the rim or blocking the ball when it is falling.
This violation is applied to all the stages of the league such as high school, NCAA, WNBA, and NBA. The violation mostly gets unrecognizable to the referees and results in controversy. It gets mixed with basketball blocking or interference
Goaltending rules were first introduced by NCAA rules, noticing the game of GEORGE MIKAN. His 6’10” height helped him loop the ball during its way basket.
Goaltending in Basketball error – offensive and defensive?
The error was firstly launched for defensive actions. In case the defense is broken, the attacking team gets the score. The number of penalty scores is associated with the throwing position. For a long throw, three points are awarded to the attacking team.
Moreover, the scorer still gets the score for the last throw. Similarly, when a shot is deliberately stopped by a player in case of a free throw chance, it is considered a technical error leaving one point penalty.
The idea of offensive goaltending was born after a decade. When an out-of-orbit ball moving toward the basket is touched by the player. Such violations result in the transfer of the ball or the cancelation of the amid air point.
Why is goaltending considered illegal in a basketball game?
As per NBA rules for the basketball game, goaltending is prohibited and unlawful. It impacts the game badly resulting in the reduction of competition and fairness. It significantly reduced the imbalanced impact of the tall players in the game bill Russell has been the leading player due to his body.
Goaltending, as discussed above, gives tall players chances to dominate the game. Usually the players who do goaltending just stand under the basket to directly stop the opponents throw making the game monotonous as no one will be able to score like that.
Sometimes people mistakenly consider that hitting the backboard is goaltending or interference but it is neither and is safe. Similarly, if you dive by grabbing the rim it is considered but throwing the ball directly will nerve result in goaltending
Penalty for goaltending?
Goaltending, undoubtedly, is a violation that often happens in defensive and attacking mode. Therefore the penalty for it will be determined by the location of the goaltender. It has been estimated that defensive goaltending is more common. And the foul points are usually awarded the penalty by the opposing team.
The bonus point in such a situation depends on the position of the ball thrown. When the ball is within the boundary of here point line two points are awarded in case the opponent makes a foul. Similarly, if during a goal the shooter is fouled during a goal or a shot is blocked during its downward trajectory, it is counted as goaltending. And the opposing team is awarded a free throw along with a bonus point.
Difference between goaltending and basket interference?
Attention to specific parts is paid when the NBA referee looks at the basket. A basket comprises a hoop, a net, an imagined space cylinder leading from the hoop to the top, and a backboard in case you want a dribble, you need to touch the ball during a downward trajectory to the basket. This could result in a free throw or goal-scoring. And to be qualified for the penalty the ball has to be on the belt. Such a situation when the opposing player touches the ball inside the imaginary cylinder is known as an inference the
Difference between goaltending and blocking?
It is the trajectory of the basketball that differentiates between blocking and goaltending. If you make a block when the ball is in the upward direction it is called blocking but if the ball is downward then it will be called goaltending. To make a safe rebound make sure the ball is below the belt, if the rebounding ball moves above the belt you may violate goaltending. If you goaltend a free throw the opposing team will be awarded a point
Conclusion: What is goaltending in basketball
The above-given details about goaltending make it much clear that this feat is an offense including rebounding or touching a ball coming within the rim, above the rim, or down toward the basket. This article also makes it obvious that there is a clear-cut difference between interference and blocking, hence the referee has to be an experienced person to identify the error correctly so that the game may run fair and smooth