It takes vision and courage.
It requires not good but great basketball instincts.
It is arguably one of the most unnatural acts in sports.
And, really, all it entails is standing absolutely still -- and bracing for a collision.
Taking a charge is taking one for the team.
''It's a way you can play effective interior defense without being a shot blocker,'' Heat center Michael Doleac said.
Taking a charge is no cakewalk. As scorers continue to find ways to avoid getting their shots blocked, taking a charge has become a more effective way of defending against a driving guard, a big man with a head of steam, or even an oncoming fast break.
“The charge has become more prominent now,” Knicks forward David Lee said.
It might seem like an easy concept, standing in front of another player and drawing an offensive foul. But there are several elements that make it fairly complicated.
In most cases, taking a charge involves a help defender anticipating an offensive player's movement, beating him to that spot and establishing a legal defensive position with his feet set before contact is made.
ANTICIPATION
''Being able to take a charge, it's like you see the play a couple of steps or a couple of frames before it actually develops,'' Jazz guard Derek Fisher said.
“Especially now with the athletes we have in the league, if you're a half second late in getting there, you're either going to get dunked on or they're going to call a blocking foul.''
Another key to getting the call is falling backward.
''If you don't go down, you're not going to get the call,'' Doleac said.
Some players have become particularly skilled at drawing charges.
Houston's Shane Battier has built a reputation as a strong defender in large part because of his penchant for drawing the offensive foul.
''If somebody knows I'm going to be there to take a charge, I'm pretty sure they're going to think before they go to the basket,'' Posey said. “Therefore, they're shooting jump shots.''
MAKING A CHANGE
For others such as Antoine Walker, it's an act forced upon them. In his previous 10 seasons in the league, Walker has never been a take-charge guy. Last season, his first with the Heat, he estimates that he took one the entire season. So after a few strong words from Heat coach Pat Riley this season, Walker is near 20 for the season, according to stats the team keeps, and among the team leaders.
''I just never really had to do it in my career,'' Walker said. “When I watched film, there were so many opportunities for me to take charges. Riley told me I should start taking hits. He felt like I was cheating the team by not taking hits because everybody else was willing to do it.”
“It can be a little painful, but it's not as bad as I thought it would be.''
For offensive players driving the lane, avoiding the charge has become its own skill. It takes creative footwork, adjusted flight patterns, and a little body contortion. If you make someone worry about you more than making the shot then they probably aren’t going to make the shot.
“I now understand taking charges a lot better because I'm on a team with guys that take a lot of charges. I understand it's part of the game. It's a smart part of the game. As an offensive player, you hate it.''
Taking a charge is also an effective way to get players in foul trouble, especially the ones that slash and like to attack the hoop.
''I think on this level and in college, it's a big part of the game,'' David Lee said. “It helps neutralize athletic ability. Anybody can take one. You don’t have to jump 40 inches or be 6’10.”
