What's The Difference Between A Block And A Charge?

Skip to main contentCome Fan with UsSaturday, December 27, 2025SBNation.com homepageSB NationSB Nation logoNotificationsNotifications

• The Feed
• Breakaway
• Betting
  • FanDuel Sportsbook Odds
  • FanDuel Daily Fantasy Sports
  • Betting Picks and Predictions
• NFL
  • Today's NFL Trivia
  • All NFL
  • Fantasy Football
  • Arizona Cardinals
  • Atlanta Falcons
  • Baltimore Ravens
  • Buffalo Bills
  • Carolina Panthers
  • Chicago Bears
  • Cincinnati Bengals
  • Cleveland Browns
  • Dallas Cowboys
  • Denver Broncos
  • Detroit Lions
  • Green Bay Packers
  • Houston Texans
  • Indianapolis Colts
  • Jacksonville Jaguars
  • Kansas City Chiefs
  • Las Vegas Raiders
  • Los Angeles Rams
  • Miami Dolphins
  • Minnesota Vikings
  • New England Patriots
  • New Orleans Saints
  • New York Giants
  • New York Jets
  • Philadelphia Eagles
  • Pittsburgh Steelers
  • Los Angeles Chargers
  • San Francisco 49ers
  • Seattle Seahawks
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • Tennessee Titans
  • Washington Commanders
• NBA
  • All NBA
  • WNBA
  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Boston Celtics
  • Brooklyn Nets
  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Detroit Pistons
  • Golden State Warriors
  • Houston Rockets
  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • New York Knicks
  • Philadelphia 76ers
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Portland Trail Blazers
  • San Antonio Spurs
  • Toronto Raptors
  • Utah Jazz
  • Washington Wizards
• MLB
  • Today's MLB Trivia
  • All MLB
  • Arizona Diamondbacks
  • Atlanta Braves
  • Baltimore Orioles
  • Boston Red Sox
  • Chicago Cubs
  • Chicago White Sox
  • Cincinnati Reds
  • Cleveland Guardians
  • Colorado Rockies
  • Detroit Tigers
  • Houston Astros
  • Kansas City Royals
  • Los Angeles Dodgers
  • Milwaukee Brewers
  • Minnesota Twins
  • New York Mets
  • New York Yankees
  • Oakland Athletics
  • Philadelphia Phillies
  • Pittsburgh Pirates
  • San Diego Padres
  • San Francisco Giants
  • Seattle Mariners
  • St. Louis Cardinals
  • Tampa Bay Rays
  • Texas Rangers
  • Toronto Blue Jays
  • Washington Nationals
• CFB
  • All CFB
  • View team list
• CBB
  • Men’s CBB
  • Men’s Bracketology
  • Women’s CBB
  • View team list
• WNBA
  • All WNBA
  • Swish Appeal
  • Los Angeles Sparks
  • Minnesota Lynx
  • New York Liberty
  • Washington Mystics
• Soccer
  • Football Frenzy
  • All Soccer
  • English Premier League
  • Arsenal
  • Chelsea
  • Everton
  • Liverpool
  • Manchester City
  • Newcastle United
  • Tottenham Hotspur
  • Manchester United
  • German Bundesliga
  • Bayern Munich
  • Dortmund
  • Italian Serie A
  • AC Milan
  • Inter Milan
  • Juventus
  • AS Roma
  • Fiorentina
  • MLS
  • Spanish La Liga
  • Barcelona
  • Real Madrid
  • Atletico Madrid
  • Villarreal
  • Women’s Soccer
  • NWSL
  • Mexican Soccer
  • U.S. Soccer
  • Fantasy Soccer
  • View team list
• More

Navigation Drawer

• Login / Sign Up

closeCloseSearch

• VideoWatch
• PodcastListen
• In Five GamesPlay

• The Feed
• Breakaway
• BettingExpand
  • FanDuel Sportsbook Odds
  • FanDuel Daily Fantasy Sports
  • Betting Picks and Predictions
• NFLExpand
  • Today's NFL Trivia
  • All NFL
  • Fantasy Football
  • Arizona Cardinals
  • Atlanta Falcons
  • Baltimore Ravens
  • Buffalo Bills
  • Carolina Panthers
  • Chicago Bears
  • Cincinnati Bengals
  • Cleveland Browns
  • Dallas Cowboys
  • Denver Broncos
  • Detroit Lions
  • Green Bay Packers
  • Houston Texans
  • Indianapolis Colts
  • Jacksonville Jaguars
  • Kansas City Chiefs
  • Las Vegas Raiders
  • Los Angeles Rams
  • Miami Dolphins
  • Minnesota Vikings
  • New England Patriots
  • New Orleans Saints
  • New York Giants
  • New York Jets
  • Philadelphia Eagles
  • Pittsburgh Steelers
  • Los Angeles Chargers
  • San Francisco 49ers
  • Seattle Seahawks
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • Tennessee Titans
  • Washington Commanders
• NBAExpand
  • All NBA
  • WNBA
  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Boston Celtics
  • Brooklyn Nets
  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Detroit Pistons
  • Golden State Warriors
  • Houston Rockets
  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • New York Knicks
  • Philadelphia 76ers
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Portland Trail Blazers
  • San Antonio Spurs
  • Toronto Raptors
  • Utah Jazz
  • Washington Wizards
• MLBExpand
  • Today's MLB Trivia
  • All MLB
  • Arizona Diamondbacks
  • Atlanta Braves
  • Baltimore Orioles
  • Boston Red Sox
  • Chicago Cubs
  • Chicago White Sox
  • Cincinnati Reds
  • Cleveland Guardians
  • Colorado Rockies
  • Detroit Tigers
  • Houston Astros
  • Kansas City Royals
  • Los Angeles Dodgers
  • Milwaukee Brewers
  • Minnesota Twins
  • New York Mets
  • New York Yankees
  • Oakland Athletics
  • Philadelphia Phillies
  • Pittsburgh Pirates
  • San Diego Padres
  • San Francisco Giants
  • Seattle Mariners
  • St. Louis Cardinals
  • Tampa Bay Rays
  • Texas Rangers
  • Toronto Blue Jays
  • Washington Nationals
• CFBExpand
  • All CFB
  • View team list
• CBBExpand
  • Men’s CBB
  • Men’s Bracketology
  • Women’s CBB
  • View team list
• WNBAExpand
  • All WNBA
  • Swish Appeal
  • Los Angeles Sparks
  • Minnesota Lynx
  • New York Liberty
  • Washington Mystics
• SoccerExpand
  • Football Frenzy
  • All Soccer
  • English Premier League
  • Arsenal
  • Chelsea
  • Everton
  • Liverpool
  • Manchester City
  • Newcastle United
  • Tottenham Hotspur
  • Manchester United
  • German Bundesliga
  • Bayern Munich
  • Dortmund
  • Italian Serie A
  • AC Milan
  • Inter Milan
  • Juventus
  • AS Roma
  • Fiorentina
  • MLS
  • Spanish La Liga
  • Barcelona
  • Real Madrid
  • Atletico Madrid
  • Villarreal
  • Women’s Soccer
  • NWSL
  • Mexican Soccer
  • U.S. Soccer
  • Fantasy Soccer
  • View team list
• UFCExpand
  • MMA Fighting
  • MMA Fight Schedule
  • MMA Mania
• NHLExpand
  • All NHL
  • Boston Bruins
  • Carolina Hurricanes
  • Colorado Avalanche
  • New Jersey Devils
  • New York Islanders
  • Pittsburgh Penguins
• Golf
• F1
• Wrestling
• Boxing
• Secret Base Video
• Podcasts
• Newsletters
• Features
• Communities
• Product Updates & Ideas

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Threads
• Instagram
• Youtube
• RSS
• TikTok

SB NationSB Nation logoWhat’s the difference between a block and a charge?NotificationsNotifications

• NBA

What’s the difference between a block and a charge?

Having trouble determining the difference between a charge and a block? It’s complicated! But don’t worry: we’re here to help.

by Satchel PriceOct 28, 2014, 4:14 PM UTC

• Facebook
• Link

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

What is a charge?

An offensive foul that occurs when a player makes significant contact with a defender that has established position.

What is a block?

A defensive foul that occurs when the offensive player makes significant contact with a defender who is not stationary, fails to give proper space and/or is in the restricted area. This is how Joey Crawford calls it.

What is the official rule for a charge?

The NBA rulebook states that “if an offensive player causes contact with a defensive player who has established a legal position, an offensive foul shall be called and no points may be scored. A defensive player may turn slightly to protect himself, but is never allowed to bend over and submarine an opponent.”

In other words, a defender needs to be in a certain position before contact in order to draw a charge.

Against a dribbler in the open court, the defender simply needs to be in front of him and provide enough distance for that player to reasonably stop or change direction. On a drive near the basket, the defender must be in position before the dribbler begins his upward shooting motion.

A charge is also called if “the player initiates contact in a non-basketball manner” such as leading with his foot.

What is the official rule for a block?

A blocking foul occurs when a defender attempts to draw a charge, but fails to get into proper position based on the above criteria.

How has the rule changed?

There have been several changes made over the past couple decades, none more important than the expansion of the restricted area in 1997. That decision was designed to limit the practice of players standing directly underneath the basket in order to draw charges. The league also clarified its blocking rules in 2004, and in 2007 changed the rules for when two referees disagree on a block/charge call. The implementation of different rules against flopping has also changed how blocks and charges are called.

What is the restricted area?

A four-foot arc underneath the basket under which players cannot draw charges. The rule is designed to prevent players from hanging below the rim while offensive players drive to the basket. A defender must establish his position outside of the area in order to draw a charge. The exception: if the dribbler began his drive inside the lower defensive box, which is known as “the area from the bottom tip of the free throw circle to the endline between the two 3’ posted-up marks.”

People always say you “need to be set” to draw a charge. Is that true?

To some degree, yes. The rulebook states that a defender needs to “get his torso directly in the path and beat him to the spot.”

However, the notion that a player’s feet must be entirely stationary in order to draw a charge call isn’t really correct. Unlike most fans at home, referees don’t look at a defender’s feet and whether they’re shuffling at the moment of impact. Instead, it’s about whether the defender’s torso is set in position.

So, players do need to get “set,” but the common definition could use some tweaking.

Can a block/charge be reviewed?

As of right now, referees can only review whether a player’s feet are in the restricted area, and only in the final two minutes. However, the league’s Competition Committee recommended expanding review situations on block/charge calls last year, so this could change. The NBA has never allowed for reviewing judgement calls before, but it seems intent on addressing block/charge reviews in some way.

Who is good at taking charges?

DeMarcus Cousins may not be considered a premier defender in the NBA, but the Kings big man led the league last season with 36 charges taken, putting him five ahead of Raptors guard Kyle Lowry. Cousins has led the league in charges drawn in two of the past three years. Monta Ellis, Ricky Rubio, Nick Collison, Blake Griffin and Mike Dunleavy have also been among the league leaders the past couple seasons.

Are charges good for the game?

The charging and blocking rules have been around so long that it’s hard to envision an NBA without them, but they’re not without opponents. Back in March, Bob Ryan wrote a piece arguing for the end of charging fouls. “It baffles me how this was ever incorporated into the game of basketball in the first place,” he wrote.

There are many who share Ryan’s sentiments and feel that the game would be better served by more fluidity, fewer whistles and less guffawing over who got to Location X first. From a pure entertainment aspect -- and the NBA is ultimately an entertainment business -- one could argue that these rules undermine some of the game’s pacing and encourage strategies that aren’t especially fun to watch.

Is this play a charge?

This was a controversial call from the 2011 Finals, but the referees actually got it right. While Tyson Chandler had his right foot just inside the restricted area, it's not a blocking foul because LeBron began his drive inside the lower defensive box. Chandler still got into position with his torso facing James, so that's a charge on the Heat forward.

Is this play a charge?

Fast forward to this 2012 regular season game between Washington and Portland. Jordan Crawford starts a drive to the rim from near the three-point line and lowers his shoulder to initiate contact before raising up to take the shot. The defender, Wesley Matthews, gets most of his body in front of Crawford, but notice the angle of his torso as contact is made. He’s clearly on an angle and trying to turn when Crawford hits him.

That’s a blocking foul, and a smart play by Crawford.

Why do referees get this wrong so much?

Basketball is a frenetic, complicated series of moving parts in a condensed area, and the rulebook demands incredible precision in making these calls. Referees are tasked with making these judgments in real-time and it’s important to remember how much they must track in a split second. Where did the drive start? Is the defender’s torso in position? Were his feet outside the restricted area? Is there even enough contact to blow the whistle in the first place?

When you consider that referees are also often looking for things beyond block/charge calls, too, it’s not surprising that they occasionally miss the details with these bang-bang plays.

See More:

• NBA

SB Nation Daily Roundup

A daily roundup of all your sports news

Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Advertiser Content From

This is the title for the native ad

More in NBA

Dec 26Nikola Jokic’s historic Christmas game set NBA records and had Charles Barkely grovelingDec 26NBA scores: Christmas results, season recap after loaded dayDec 24Former NBA draft pick James Nnaji commits to Baylor, eligible for college basketball immediatelyDec 22Shaedon Sharpe shattered his own NBA vertical leap record with dunk on Russell WestbrookDec 19The Derik Queen trade could have avoided disaster for Pelicans with one simple fixDec 18NBA mock draft 2026: Boozer, Peterson, Dybantsa race for No. 1 pick in updated projectionNBADec 26NBADec 26Nikola Jokic’s historic Christmas game set NBA records and had Charles Barkely groveling

Nikola Jokic’s historic Christmas stat line again proves he’s an NBA all-time great

By Ricky O'DonnellNBADec 26NBADec 26NBA scores: Christmas results, season recap after loaded day

Recapping the NBA’s Christmas scores, plus recap the 2025-26 season so far.

By Ricky O'DonnellNBADec 24NBADec 24Former NBA draft pick James Nnaji commits to Baylor, eligible for college basketball immediately

James Nnaji was drafted by the Pistons. Now he’s immediately eligible for college basketball after committing to Baylor.

By Ricky O'DonnellNBADec 22NBADec 22Shaedon Sharpe shattered his own NBA vertical leap record with dunk on Russell Westbrook

No one jumps higher in the modern NBA than Shaedon Sharpe.

By Ricky O'DonnellNBADec 19NBADec 19The Derik Queen trade could have avoided disaster for Pelicans with one simple fix

The Pelicans could have minimized their risk with the Derik Queen trade with one simple fix

By Ricky O'DonnellNBADec 18NBADec 18NBA mock draft 2026: Boozer, Peterson, Dybantsa race for No. 1 pick in updated projection

Here’s our latest NBA mock draft

By Ricky O'DonnellAdvertiser Content From

This is the title for the native ad

The Latest

3:00 PM UTCHow can the Houston Texans clinch a playoff berth in Week 17?3:00 PM UTCHow can the Pittsburgh Steelers clinch a playoff berth in Week 17?1:00 PM UTCWoody Marks start or sit: Week 17 fantasy football advice12:00 PM UTCWhat Christian Watson injury status means for Week 17 vs. Ravens11:00 AM UTCWho will start at QB for Packers in Week 17 vs. RavensDec 26Jordan Love injury: QB ruled out for Packers-Ravens