zone defense

agibson · January 15, 2016, 11:39:31 AM

I've never watched much NBA. Maybe a little Jordan, in the first three-peat when I was a kid - but I followed that on the playground more than on TV. I did generally watch the Finals, at least, during at least two summers of the second three-peat, including some memorable games against the Jazz.

But, how did I miss that zone defense was _illegal_ in the NBA until 2001?!

I knew that the NBA preferred man, and that college players in zone defensive schemes sometimes received criticism like "How are they going to transition to the NBA?".

But, it was _illegal_? Crazy. Did teams push against the line? Was this actually whistled in games?

VULB#62 · January 15, 2016, 01:26:43 PM

The answer is yes. The Celtics were famous for pushing that line and getting called for it "on occasion" too.

agibson · January 15, 2016, 01:35:57 PM

Quote from: VULB#62 on January 15, 2016, 01:26:43 PM
The answer is yes. The Celtics were famous for pushing that line and getting called for it "on occasion" too.

Crazy. What was the penalty? Like a personal foul, but not attributed to anyone?

covufan · January 15, 2016, 01:38:04 PM

Quote from: agibson on January 15, 2016, 01:35:57 PM
Quote from: VULB#62 on January 15, 2016, 01:26:43 PM
The answer is yes. The Celtics were famous for pushing that line and getting called for it "on occasion" too.

Crazy. What was the penalty? Like a personal foul, but not attributed to anyone?

If I remember correctly, the first call was a warning. After that there were FTs involved.

StlVUFan · January 15, 2016, 05:48:13 PM

If I'm not mistaken, even now zone defense is not unconditionally legal. I think you're allowed to play zone for about 3 seconds or something. They have a violation for it that is similar to being in the lane too long on offense.

I know they had a "defensive 3-seconds" violation a few years ago, I have not kept up on it (and have no desire to).

agibson · January 15, 2016, 06:01:00 PM

Quote from: StlVUFan on January 15, 2016, 05:48:13 PMI know they had a "defensive 3-seconds" violation a few years ago, I have not kept up on it (and have no desire to).

I was googling around a bit earlier, and came across this. It's the only remaining limitation on zone defense that I ran across. You can't stand in the paint, on defense, for more than three seconds (in the NBA) unless you're guarding someone.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defensive_three-second_violation
has a bit more.

StlVUFan · January 15, 2016, 07:53:21 PM

Ah. So it actually does have something to do with the lane

Interesting. Thanks

It's also less restrictive than I thought it was.

historyman · January 15, 2016, 10:42:04 PM

What is illegal defense in the NBA?

Alex Suchman

The nuances of what is considered illegal defense have evolved over the course of NBA history [1]. The current rule, known as the defensive three second rule, was adopted before the 2001-02 season. The rule states that a defensive player can not stay in the lane for more than 3 seconds without closely guarding an offensive player. This was a major simplification from the previous illegal defense rules, which imposed a number of restrictions that depended on where an offensive player was on the court.

Contrary to some of the other answers, zone defense is legal in the NBA (as long as no one stays in the lane for too long). It's not used very often because it's less tactically sound than man-to-man. However, Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle is known for sometimes using zones to keep opponents off balance when he plays lineups that would struggle in man-to-man.

VULB#62 · January 15, 2016, 11:13:40 PM

Quote from: historyman on January 15, 2016, 10:42:04 PM
What is illegal defense in the NBA?

Alex Suchman

The nuances of what is considered illegal defense have evolved over the course of NBA history [1]. The current rule, known as the defensive three second rule, was adopted before the 2001-02 season. The rule states that a defensive player can not stay in the lane for more than 3 seconds without closely guarding an offensive player. This was a major simplification from the previous illegal defense rules, which imposed a number of restrictions that depended on where an offensive player was on the court.

Contrary to some of the other answers, zone defense is legal in the NBA (as long as no one stays in the lane for too long). It's not used very often because it's less tactically sound than man-to-man. However, Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle is known for sometimes using zones to keep opponents off balance when he plays lineups that would struggle in man-to-man.

And (surprise!) there is a Celtics connection for Carlisle.