Re: Nelson, Cuban dislike charge line

s_knight8 wrote:

> http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/sports/basketball/7381306.htm
>
> DALLAS - Don Nelson and Mark Cuban want to reform how the league calls
> charges in the lane, just in different ways.
>
> The Mavericks' coach wants the restricted-area arc moved out another
> two feet. The owner wants the area, formed by a half-circle four feet
> from the center of the basket, removed.
>
> Both believe the arc leads to defenders positioning themselves
> specifically to draw charges and not play defense. They contend it's
> also too close, leading to unnecessary injuries. Dirk Nowitzki
> sprained his right ankle driving the lane and falling over a defender
> Wednesday against Phoenix.
>
> "I'd like to see a study done on that charge line and the effect on
> injuries," Nelson said. "People are running under all of our players.
> We teach it, too, because it's allowed. I think that needs to be
> changed.
>
> "[The arc won't be changed] until the owners get tired of having their
> star players injured on those kinds of moves. I don't think it's good
> for our game. I think that's one of the reasons that scoring is down.
> The charge line needs to be moved two feet farther out. It's that
> simple."
>
> Count Cuban as an owner who's tired of it.
>
> "If you don't have to have [the arc], it helps the game" he said. Not
> having the arc " promotes more aggressiveness, guys driving to the
> basket and reduces injuries. It forces guys to make basketball plays.
> It makes so much sense. It's not like stepping in front of someone
> just to take a charge. That's not a basketball play. It's just a
> turnover."

I agree with both of these men on principle, but I'm not sure either one 
has the right answer to the problem.

Drawing a charge has become far too easy, and like Cuban, I don't 
consider it a legitimate "basketball play" to jump in front of an 
offensive player with the specific intent of drawing a foul.

The play should be ruled more favorably to offensive players, and the 
rule should incorporate the NCAA approach, where they call it a "player 
control foul".  If the offensive player is under control, and a defender 
simply jumps in front of him, call it a block.