Goaltending (basketball)

This article is about an illegal form of shot-blocking in the sport of basketball. For other uses, see goaltender.
Goaltending includes interfering with a shot on its downward arc or after it has touched the backboard and has a chance of going in the hoop

Goaltending is a violation of the rules in the sport of basketball. It consists of certain forms of player interference with the ball while it is on its way to the basket. It is goaltending if a player touches the ball when it is (a) in downward flight; or (b) above the basket rim and within an imaginary cylinder projecting above the rim; or (c) already touching the rim; or (varying at certain levels of the sport) after it has touched the backboard and has a chance of going in the hoop.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Goaltending in this context defines by exclusion what is considered a legal block of a field goal. In high school and NCAA basketball, goaltending is also called when a player interferes with a free throw at any time in its flight towards the basket.[1][7]

  1. ^ a b Struckhoff, Mary, ed. (2009). 2009-2010 NFHS Basketball Rules. Indianapolis, Indiana: National Federation of High Schools. p. 31. Rule 4, Section 22
  2. ^ NBA Official Rules (2009-2010) Archived 2012-01-11 at the Wayback Machine Rule 11, Section I, f. Retrieved July 26, 2010
  3. ^ "Goaltending/Basket Interference | NBA Official".
  4. ^ 2009-2011 Men's & Women's Basketball Rules Archived 2012-08-06 at the Wayback Machine Rule 4, Section 34, Article 1, a,b. Retrieved July 26, 2010
  5. ^ 2009-2011 Men's & Women's Basketball Rules Archived 2012-08-06 at the Wayback Machine Rule 4, Section 34, Article 3. Retrieved July 26, 2010 In the NCAA and (W)NBA, goaltending is also called if the ball has already touched the backboard while being above the height of the rim in its flight, regardless of it being in an upward or downward flight or whether it is directly above the rim.
  6. ^ NBA Official Rules (2009-2010) Archived 2012-01-11 at the Wayback Machine Rule 11, Section I, c, d. Retrieved July 26, 2010
  7. ^ 2009-2011 Men's & Women's Basketball Rules Archived 2012-08-06 at the Wayback Machine Rule 4, Section 34, Article 2. Retrieved July 26, 2010