What is a Charge in Basketball? (Definition and Examples)

A charge is an offensive foul that occurs when an offensive player charges into a defender. For the call to be a charge and not a block, 3 criteria must be met: 1. The defender must be in legal guarding position when the contact occurs. 2. The defender is not standing in the restricted area (does not apply to high school). 3. The defender is not the one who initiates the contact. If all 3 of these standards are met, the referee should call a charging foul.