Goaltending
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- For the article about goaltending in ice hockey, see goaltender.
In basketball, goaltending is the violation of interfering with the ball or the basket on the ball's downward flight to the basket or while it is on the ring (or, in the NBA, while it is directly above the basket). Goaltending occurs when a defensive player tries to block a shot too late (when the ball is already past the top of its arc or has already bounced on the backboard), or when a player tries to rebound too early (when the ball still has a chance to go in). If a defensive player goaltends (defensive goaltending), the attempted shot is considered a successful shot. If an offensive player goaltends (offensive goaltending), the basket is cancelled and the team loses possession.
The main purpose of the defensive goaltending rule is to prevent defensive players from simply keeping a hand between the ball and the basket at all times, which would make scoring impossible. The offensive goaltending rule prevents the offensive player from taking advantage of the defensive goaltending rule.
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