A defender raises both hands after contact and insists that no foul was possible. Raised hands are relevant, but they are not the whole rule. The player’s position, movement and responsibility for the contact still need to be considered.
Article 33 of the FIBA Official Basketball Rules 2024 explains the cylinder principle and verticality. This article discusses that rules edition; competitions using another code or later amendments should consult their own applicable rules.
Watch the space before the collision
The principle concerns the space a player legally occupies and the space above it. A defender jumping vertically within that space is different from a defender leaning or moving into an opponent’s established space.
Likewise, an attacker does not gain an unrestricted right to create contact simply by moving towards the basket. The rule must be read alongside legal guarding position and the other contact provisions. A single frozen image of raised arms may omit the movement that explains the call.
When reviewing a clip, begin before the moment of impact. Look at where each player established position, whether either left that space and where the contact occurred. Avoid deciding solely from the loudest reaction or the direction in which someone fell.
Use a controlled demonstration in practice
A coach can explain the relevant space using stationary positioning before progressing to suitable movement drills. Players should not deliberately collide to test a rule interpretation. The purpose is to recognise legal position and improve control.
For a game note, describe observable movement: “the defender moved forward during the jump” is more useful than “hands were up, so it was clean.” The description still needs the full play and the applicable code before it becomes a confident judgement.
Verticality is a framework for understanding contact, not a gesture that cancels every foul. Watching how a player occupies and leaves space makes the rule more intelligible than treating raised hands as an automatic defence.