How To Defend Without Fouling In Basketball
Basketball can be one of the most frustrating sports to play defense in because of the number of fouls and whistles referees can call on you. It can be very disheartening to be locking up your opponent one second and then seeing them shoot free throws because of a horrible call.
To defend without fouling players need to have great anticipation and lateral quickness to cut off where their defender is going without using their arms. They also need to be adept and disciplined enough to understand the situation and read what their defender is going to do.
For example, on block attempts, players should always jump straight up and down, and on shot contents, players should always keep their feet on the ground.
In this article, I will be going over the necessary steps required to make you as a defender less likely to get a foul called on you.
First off I think we need to discuss what a foul is what constitutes illegal defense so we know how to avoid getting called for fouls.
What Qualifies As A Foul In Basketball?
A foul in basketball is any type of illegal contract that impedes your defender or opponent from making a play. A foul usually is called on the player who initiates that contact illegally. So even offensive players can get called a foul on, this would be called a charge.
Tips To Defend Without Fouling
1. Move Your Feet
One of the most commonly called foul calls is a bump foul. This is a type of foul players get called on all the time when they can't move in front of their defender and stop them with their body.
How To Get Less Bump Fouls
To get fewer bump fouls you need to be able to anticipate your opponent on put your whole body in front of them as they drive the ball. One way of anticipating better is by playing smarter.
What I mean by playing smarter is you need to be able to read how fast you are compared to the player you are guarding. For example, if you are much slower then it is a good idea to give your opponent space so you can have more time to cut them off.
The second way is by getting laterally quicker, a great exercise I have used to get laterally quicker would be the lateral bound.
Pro Tip: One thing I have always done that has helped me stay in front of offensive players is to look at their stomach. A reason I do this is that by looking at a player's stomach you do not get distracted by where the ball is going.
This allows you to stay more leveled and react better to where the offensive player is going.
2. Avoid Dumb Fouls
Risk reward is something all basketball players should keep into account when guarding.
It can be so frustrating to see players lose playing time due to stupid fouls that have a low probability of turning into a steal. I am not saying you have to play less aggressively and not attack your defender but your aggression needs to have a purpose and reason behind it.
Dumb Fouls Include
-Backcourt fouls 80 feet from the basket
- reach in fouls when you're in a bad position
- putting your arms down on a block attempt
Since most of these fouls come from players either trying to get a block or a steal it is important to address how players can get these without fouling their opponent.
How To Steal The Ball Without Fouling?
The best ways to steal the ball without fouling is by playing the passing lanes and anticipating where your opponent is going to pass the ball. This is a great way to steal without fouling because it avoids contact with your opponent so it is much less likely for the referee to call a foul on your end.
The other way to steal is by anticipating where your defender is going to dribble to ball. This is a little more risky because even if it is a clean steal there still is a chance the reffeeree could make a mistake and call a foul on your end.
For more information on steal check out the link here.
How To Block Without Fouling?
To block without fouling the most important thing is to make sure you jump to where the ball will be going without jumping into your opponent and creating contact, The other way is to jump straight up and down without bringing your hands and hitting your opponent.
This takes a lot of discipline as it is very easy to chase the ball with your arms as you and your defender are both rising into the air. One way to make this easier I have found is by having a target as you go into your jump by focusing directly on the ball and then moving your body out of the way.
For more information on how to get more blocks check out the link here.
3. Stay Calm
A big reason a lot of unessary fouls seem to occur throughout the course of the game is when players are either upset or if players get too excited on a play. For example, over the back or reach in fouls.
Again I am not saying aggression is bad but there has to be a balance to this, there are many plays in the course of the game and getting fouls called on you can make you sit and get less playing time.
This comes down to mindset and staying present as the game goes a long. One thing that helps me avoid getting to excited or aggresive is by understanding the risk and reward of each action and play I make. It comes down to mindset and is something that will come with time as you get more experienced and wiswer in the game of basketball.
4. Practice
One thing to keep in mind is that if you want to get better at any skill then you need to practice it.
One great way to practice defending without fouling is by playing 1 on 1 games against other players with the emphasis on calling fouls. This will teach you to defend and watch out for any flaws you might have when it comes to fouling.
Is It A Foul If You Hit The Ball First In Basketball?
It is not a foul if you hit the ball first, however if during any point before or after you substantially hit or have contact with your opponent then most refs will call a foul in that situation. So you have to make sure if you are going to be swiping the ball not to get contact before or after to sipe at the ball.
Is Reaching Allowed In Basketball?
Reaching is not a foul or illegal just by the act of it. But where reaching can be illegal or a foul is if you contact the player at any point or restrict them from making a basketball play without contacting the ball
So make sure if you are going to be reaching for the ball you do so in a manner that will not have you contact the players body and you will be grabbing or swiping the ball away from your opponent. This is where anticipation and smart action comes into play.
Can You Touch A Player While Playing Defense In Basketball?
You can touch a player and even have body contact while defending as long as you clearly establish position and beat your defender to a particular spot. However if you do not have clear guarding position refferess can call things like bumps reach ins and hand checking.
The key with this is to establish space and beat your defender to the spot. As a defender you are allowed to guard once you have established space for yourself.
Offensive players are not allowed to just initiate contact and bully through you once you have established a space. By knowing this this is when you can not only beat your defender but also draw fouls on them which is known as a charge.
Can You Put Your Hand In Someone's Face In Basketball?
Yes, you are allowed to contest any shot by putting your hand in someone's face. However, any contact resulting from this will almost always be called a foul by the referees.
To avoid this make sure you contest with your feet on the ground ( to get more control) and also make sure your hands are a far enough distance away from a defender's face so you do not get called for a foul.
Can You Use A Forearm On Defense In Basketball?
As a defender, you are allowed to have one forarm touching your opponent in any low post position around the basket. However any time two hands or arms touch there opponent this is usually an automatic foul on the defense. There is a lot of lee way with formarms on the perimeter and this is usually only called a foul if the offensive player is being restricted in any way either with pushing, or holding.
Conclusion
Even though a lot of the time players can get called for fouls they did not commit you can still put yourself in the best position to defend without fouling.
Remember to always play aggresive but also be balanced and have a cerebral deliberate intention behind all your actions.
Thank you for reading and as always keep hooping my friends.