Rudy Gobert and the 3 Second Rule

Defensive player inside the 16-foot lane (from the baseline to the free-throw line, commonly referred to "painted area") must be "actively guarding an opponent within three seconds.

 

once an offensive player brings the ball across half-court, offensive player cannot be allowed in the 3-second lane for more than the allotted time.

 

I just learned a ton I never knew about how this rule works, so thanks for forcing me to expand my mind.

That said, this is one of those things that's firmly written into the rules but rarely called. Same thing with guys stepping into the lane on free throw attempts. I mean, how often do you see any sort of 3-second violation, offensive or defensive, called? Once every 10 games maybe? How many times could any of them be called per game? Probably dozens.

The NBA writes rules like lawmakers write many laws: very specific requirements but nearly impossible to enforce. Even the highest quality, purest NBA refs simply would not be able to keep track of this. There are only three of them, and they have dozens of things happening simultaneously in front of them. Whether a guy's feet are in the lane for 2.9 vs 3.1 seconds is pretty much impossible to be on their radar all the time, most of the time, or barely even some of the time.

But what about the guy that consistently breaks this rule? You've got to call it on him at least once, right? Ok, and what about all the other times he also did it? As the opposing team coach, I look at my video, and I say to the League, "Hey, you called it once, but, look, he did it 10 times. We should have had 9 more free throws."

So, what would happen if you could and did enforce it rigorously? Well, at least for a while, the game would become unwatchable as it was stopped every single play for technical free throws.

Now, I'm not arguing that the intent of the rule is bad; I'm just pointing out that it sits in this gray area of unreasonable enforcability. Lots of NBA rules do. Fouls are the clearest example of it. And quite frankly, for a league that likes to have its narratives and chosen winners and its finger on the button of everything, gray area rules are perfect. Same for governments and laws.

I'd like to see more refs on the court and better use of technology and maybe try some enforcing some of these rules properly in offseason play until players and coaches adjust. But I don't see that happening, and I don't even see why the League would feel motivated to do it.

 

I thought Brook Lopez was way more egregious and the refs dgaf all year.

 

In order to park in the paint, the defender must be within arms reach of who hes guarding and if not he has to do 1 of 2 things, touch the defender or step out the paint and reestablish position in the paint.

With where we set up Capela on offense, I doubt he is within arms reach or able to touch Capela in order to reset the clock.

So even if its 2 seconds "guarding capela" in the paint followed by rotating to contest/guard harden on the drive/lob for 2 more seconds, either it's a 3 seconds defense violation OR it's a loophole they have exploited.

Most likely it's just a sequence of events refs arent used to and thus are mentally resetting for a split second because Gobert is "rotating".

Again, I'm at work and havent rewatched the game, but I'm doing this off memory(which is admittedly shaky).

I will pay attention tonight.

 

I believe he is, and as I've stated earlier I haven't seen anything to where it would make me believe its an issue.

Either way, we'll get another dose of it tonight. Lets close this series out!

 

he doesn't need to reset outside of the lane when he's guarding a Capela and he's in that area. that's the point. you seem to be getting that confused. He isn't harden's primary defender, he's the help.

A defensive 3 seconds on Gobert would be: Tucker outside the 3 pt line and Gobert sits in the paint guarding no one. While all of the other offensive players are taken. In this instant, yes gobert needs to get outside the paint and hedge towards tucker. Otherwise, its a defensive 3 seconds violation

That's entirely different than a Capela, playing the baseline short box, where it's definitely in range of Gobert who can then stay in the paint. So long as Capela is in that area also. Yall have to remember Gobert has like a 7'9 winspan. That's a ton of ground he can cover if a big is anywhere in the area of that paint

 

Jazz definitely exploit this not being called consistently. The entire point of the rule was to allow zone defenses without allowing a team to camp their big man under the basket. If the game was called like it is on NBA2K, Gobert would get called for it all the time.

 

But this is the issue and why I'm saying it may be a loophole.

Its NOT in arms length. But hes ALLOWED to park in the paint while defending capela, even outside arms length, for 3 seconds.

He is ALSO allowed to rotate and guard the paint with help defense.

The loop hole is he is switching between defensive assignments, while staying IN the paint longer than 3 seconds.

He IS allowed to switch but at the same time he IS exploiting the time allotment allowed to be park in the paint.

Its smart.

Its possibly legal.

Its rule-stretching defense, similar to what Harden does on late gather.

But it also may be exploiting defensive 3 illegally.

 

but he's not actually switching assignments. there's nothing illegal about providing help defense.

gobert isn't just sitting in the paint while capela is completely out in the midrange area. that seems to be the illusion here. that's not what is happening in these games

 

It is illegal if he leaves gets out of range of capela after being parked in the paint already.

I think what we are arguing is interpretation of the rules.

Which is why I have been saving it seems to be an exploit.

 

but that's not what is happening. there's nothing illegal about what the bigs are doing in the vids posted

 

I think this video will clear up how the 3 second rule works.

 

But these 3 videos dont show what I'm talking about.

Its 2 step backs and 1 quick rotation from a quick attack in a cluttered strong side. Not the deliberate slow iso attack I'm speaking and thinking of.

 

well these were just examples that I brought up. and whether its slow attack iso or not, as long as capela is in that area which generally is for obvious reasons, Its perfectly legal for Gobert to be there.

Unless Gobert is switched on to harden out on the perimeter, where gobert plays defense isn't on Harden, its on capela or whatever big hes guarding that's out there

 

I mean slow iso does matter, if no one is on the strong side besides capela, if Gobert is parked in the paint outside arms length he only has 3 seconds.

That "should" include contesting/rotating to Harden" while staying in the paint, but it MAY not.

I just feel like we are arguing circles around the explanation of the rules.