Charging

Also known as: Offensive foul, Charge, Block or charge

Running into a defender who got there first.

The rule

A defender who sets their feet in a player’s path before contact gets the call, and the attacker is charged with an offensive foul. If the defender is still moving into the path, or arrives too late, it’s a blocking foul on the defender instead. Near the basket, a marked area stops defenders from drawing charges.

The penalty

Charging: the attacking team loses the ball and any basket doesn’t count. Blocking: a foul on the defender, with free throws if the shooter was in the act.

The reason

The no-charge area protects players driving to the rim. Without it, a defender could slide under an airborne player at the last moment just to draw a call, which leads to hard falls.

Around the leagues

• 1.22 m (4 ft) arc: NBA, WNBA, NCAA M. A help defender who slides inside the restricted-area arc can’t draw a charge on a drive to the basket.
• Under the basket: NCAA W. No arc. A defender standing directly under the basket, from the front of the rim to the backboard, can’t draw a charge.
• 1.25 m semicircle: FIBA, Wheelchair, 3x3. Defenders inside the no-charge semicircle can’t draw a charge on an airborne shooter or passer.

Related: Shooting Foul, Fouling Out

In the Dictionary: Block