NBA Guidelines: What is Goaltending?

Goaltending is a violation that occurs in the NBA. There are specific rules that specify whether a block is legal or not. Here are the official guidelines for you to decide that questionable call. Goaltending occurs through several different conditions.

Goaltending occurs when...

1. A player touches the ball or the basket rim when the ball is in or within the basket.

2. A player touches the ball when it is above the rim and touching the imaginary cylinder.

3. A player touches the ball when it is in the air and traveling downward during a shot. This must happen when the ball is above the rim and before the ball has touched the rim.

4. Events 1 through 3 occurs and the official makes a judgment call and feels like there was a chance of scoring.

5. A player touches the ball after it has made contact with the backboard above the rim, regardless of it is traveling up or down. The contact of the backboard must have been the result of a shot.

6. A player touches the ball after it has made contact with the backboard and it below the ring level and is traveling upward.

7. A player traps the ball against the surface of the backboard.

8. A player touches the ball on downward flight when it has an opportunity to touch the rim.

9. A player touches the ball with a hand that is through the basket rim.

If one of the following events is true, the team that shot the ball is awarded with two or three points, depending on the spot where the ball was shot from. The scoring of the points will then follow the same events as if a normal, regular shot was made. The only difference that occurs is that the official will then take control of the basketball and hand it to the team that now has possession. After this occurs, then the team is allowed to throw the ball in and continue play. If the violation occurs at a team's own basket, no points will be counted. The ball is then handed off to the team that was on offense at the area perpendicular to the free throw line on the end that the violation occurred. A jump ball at the center of the court will occur if a violation occurs by both teams at the same moment.

Wikipedia, Goaltending