Hi Matt, welcome to the board. You really had to do some digging to find this thread from four months ago!
Quote:
Originally posted by mlcowan
If you bounce the ball off the rim or backboard of you own basket, it's a shot. Doesn't matter what your intent was
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According to the rules, it does matter in most cases. A "try" (or a shot) is an attempt to put the ball in the basket. In the case we're talking about, the player is clearly NOT trying to score. He's throwing the ball off the backboard in order to catch it again.
If you're fouled during a try, you get to shoot FTs. But in the case we're talking about, if the player had been fouled, he would not be awarded FTs b/c he wasn't shooting. So there is a difference between a shot or try and just hitting the backboard.
As to your other question, the reason the player can retrieve his own airball is that once the try is attempted, by rule there is no longer any player or team control. Since there's no team control, any player is free to secure control, including the shooter.
Hope that helps.
Chuck