Im Still Ballin
02-21-2022, 11:37 AM
During the era of the Illegal Defense Rules Scheme, there were a number of provisions that restricted help defense. For instance, you weren't allowed to double a player off the ball from the week side. This meant a post-up player couldn't be fronted with an extra defender.
This made the post entry pass easy, and offense efficient from the pivot. By the time the ball was caught on the low block, it was already too late.
Here's the complete rule change that came prior to the 1981-1982 season:
1981-82
• Zone defense rules clarified with new rules for Illegal Defensive Alignments.
a. Weak side defenders may come in the pro lane (16’), but not in the college lane (12’) for more than three seconds.
b. Defender on post player is allowed in defensive three-second area (A post player is any player adjacent to paint area).
c. Player without ball may not be double-teamed from weak side.
d. Offensive player above foul line and inside circle must be played by defender inside dotted line.
e. If offensive player is above the top of the circle, defender must come to a position above foul line.
f. Defender on cutter must follow the cutter, switch, or double-team the ball.
• After the first illegal defense violation, the clock is reset to 24 seconds. All subsequent violations result in one free throw and possession of the ball. If any violation occurs during the last 24 seconds of each quarter or overtime period, the offended team receives one free throw.
The rule changes were introduced in order to open up the paint and increase scoring. The game had become slow, defensive, clogged, and jump-shooting heavy. These changes helped the game explode in the '80s, producing a more commercially viable product.
Illegal Defense Guidelines put in place to increase scoring and open up the paint Passage from Bill Simmons' (Globally known NBA analyst, well respected publically) book Quote: The new wave of coaches made defenses sophisticated enough by 1981 that the league created an “illegal defense” rule to open up the paint.
Here’s how referee Ed Rush explained it to SI:
“We were becoming a jump-shot league, so we went to the coaches and said, ‘You’ve screwed the game with all your great defenses. Now fix it.’ And they did. The new rule will open up the middle and give the great players room to move. People like Julius Erving and David Thompson who used to beat their own defensive man and then still have to pull up for a jump shot because they were being double-teamed, should have an extra four or five feet to move around in. And that’s all those guys need.”
https://streamable.com/u4egnw
https://i.imgflip.com/661az6.gif
https://i.imgflip.com/661cp0.gif
https://i.imgflip.com/661dcr.gif
Compare that to the modern game, which requires shooting to spread the defense.
https://i.imgflip.com/661dzw.gif
The two most important rules changes that shaped the modern game was the removal of Illegal Defense and the hand-checking ban.
2001-02
• Illegal defense guidelines will be eliminated in their entirety.
• A new defensive three-second rule will prohibit a defensive player from remaining in the lane for more than three consecutive seconds without closely guarding an offensive player.
2004-05
• New rules were introduced to curtail hand-checking, clarify blocking fouls and call defensive three seconds to open up the game.
Offenses adjusted by using the 3pt shot to spread the floor. Offenses also became more pick-and-roll oriented, taking advantage of the lack of physicality allowed on the perimeter.
Defenses have adapted to this by switching everything, stifling the flow of offense. Teams look for versatile defenders that can defend multiple positions.
High-quality offenses are able to take advantage of these switches. Finding the mismatch is one of the biggest aspects that separate the good teams from the bad.
This made the post entry pass easy, and offense efficient from the pivot. By the time the ball was caught on the low block, it was already too late.
Here's the complete rule change that came prior to the 1981-1982 season:
1981-82
• Zone defense rules clarified with new rules for Illegal Defensive Alignments.
a. Weak side defenders may come in the pro lane (16’), but not in the college lane (12’) for more than three seconds.
b. Defender on post player is allowed in defensive three-second area (A post player is any player adjacent to paint area).
c. Player without ball may not be double-teamed from weak side.
d. Offensive player above foul line and inside circle must be played by defender inside dotted line.
e. If offensive player is above the top of the circle, defender must come to a position above foul line.
f. Defender on cutter must follow the cutter, switch, or double-team the ball.
• After the first illegal defense violation, the clock is reset to 24 seconds. All subsequent violations result in one free throw and possession of the ball. If any violation occurs during the last 24 seconds of each quarter or overtime period, the offended team receives one free throw.
The rule changes were introduced in order to open up the paint and increase scoring. The game had become slow, defensive, clogged, and jump-shooting heavy. These changes helped the game explode in the '80s, producing a more commercially viable product.
Illegal Defense Guidelines put in place to increase scoring and open up the paint Passage from Bill Simmons' (Globally known NBA analyst, well respected publically) book Quote: The new wave of coaches made defenses sophisticated enough by 1981 that the league created an “illegal defense” rule to open up the paint.
Here’s how referee Ed Rush explained it to SI:
“We were becoming a jump-shot league, so we went to the coaches and said, ‘You’ve screwed the game with all your great defenses. Now fix it.’ And they did. The new rule will open up the middle and give the great players room to move. People like Julius Erving and David Thompson who used to beat their own defensive man and then still have to pull up for a jump shot because they were being double-teamed, should have an extra four or five feet to move around in. And that’s all those guys need.”
https://streamable.com/u4egnw
https://i.imgflip.com/661az6.gif
https://i.imgflip.com/661cp0.gif
https://i.imgflip.com/661dcr.gif
Compare that to the modern game, which requires shooting to spread the defense.
https://i.imgflip.com/661dzw.gif
The two most important rules changes that shaped the modern game was the removal of Illegal Defense and the hand-checking ban.
2001-02
• Illegal defense guidelines will be eliminated in their entirety.
• A new defensive three-second rule will prohibit a defensive player from remaining in the lane for more than three consecutive seconds without closely guarding an offensive player.
2004-05
• New rules were introduced to curtail hand-checking, clarify blocking fouls and call defensive three seconds to open up the game.
Offenses adjusted by using the 3pt shot to spread the floor. Offenses also became more pick-and-roll oriented, taking advantage of the lack of physicality allowed on the perimeter.
Defenses have adapted to this by switching everything, stifling the flow of offense. Teams look for versatile defenders that can defend multiple positions.
High-quality offenses are able to take advantage of these switches. Finding the mismatch is one of the biggest aspects that separate the good teams from the bad.