[CoachJW]

Team A leads Team B 60-59 with two seconds left in the game.

A1 is shooting the second of two free throws.

Team A has one timeout and Team B is out of timeouts.

AP arrow favors Team B.

Between free throws, Coach A calls their final timeout. Both teams come out of the timeout. A1 has been instructed to miss their free throw off the rim, resulting in the clock starting as soon as the ball is touched. Coach A figures that if Team B gets the rebound, the best they will have is a near-full court shot at the buzzer. If A1 makes the free throw, Team B gets to throw a long inbound pass and has a better chance at a good shot before the buzzer.

Coach B anticipates this and instructs B1 to set up behind the three point line and step across the three point line before A1 shoots the ball. This will result in a violation on Team B and A1 will get to shoot their free throw again after they miss.

A1 misses, B1 violates. A1 gets to shoot again. Coach B has already instructed that B2 is to trade jobs with B1 on the second shot. B2 is lined up along the lane and B2 violates by stepping in before the shot. None of the Team B players has committed an act that would constitute distraction of the shooter while violating. A1 misses off the rim again, but B2 violates. Then B3, B4, etc. Coach B made all of these instructions clear in their timeout and is not audibly calling out these instructions, but the players know what to do and they keep repeating it.

If allowed to continue like this in perpetuity, Coach B is hoping that eventually A1 will shoot and either miss the basket entirely or make their free throw. On a miss, a double violation will result in going to the AP arrow and Team B will get the ball out of bounds, with the clock stopped, with a chance to win with a long pass. On a make, Team A takes a two-point lead, but Team B gets to make the long inbounds pass. The reason Team A wants to miss the free throw is the same reason Team B wants them to make it.

The root of this problem is that the incentives and consequences of the free throw and the violations are misaligned. Should an officiating crew allow it to continue or intervene? If an official intervenes, is there a rule that could be invoked?