Hmm...free throw

[SNIPERBBB]

Really interesting post on a facebook group...

According to NFHS 4-4-5, "[a] ball which touches the front faces...of the backboard is treated the same as touching the floor inbounds". This has significant consequences with regard to free throw tries which we as officials have completely failed to enforce!
Per 4-20-3, "[t]he free throw ends...when the try touches the floor". Accordingly, by application of 4-4-5, if a free throw touches the backboard, it is treated the same as touching the floor, so the free throw ends at that time and thus cannot be successful.
According to 6-7-2, "[t]he ball becomes dead...when...[i]t is apparent the free throw will not be successful on a...[f]ree throw which is to be followed by another free throw [or] by a throw-in." This means that if a free throw touches the backboard in either of these circumstances, the ball immediately becomes dead and no points may be scored.
However, when neither of the situations enumerated in 6-7-2 apply to a free throw, then the ball remains live. Nevertheless, per 4-20-3 and 4-4-5, the free throw has ended. By logical extension, 5-2-2 ("[a] goal from a free throw counts one point") no longer applies. Instead, 5-2-1 makes clear that "[a] ball that touches the floor...counts two points".
There is one caveat to keep in mind: 9-1-3 says "[the free thrower] shall throw...to cause the ball to enter the basket or touch the ring before the free throw ends", lest the free thrower be charged with a violation. Since the free throw ends when the ball touches the backboard, the free thrower can only take advantage of this extra point if the ball touches the ring prior to touching the backboard.
In sum, the rules are very clear that when a free throw touches the backboard, the free throw ends and thus only three results are possible: a) the ball becomes dead immediately, b) the free thrower is charged with a violation, or c) the ball remains live and if the ball enters the basket, the free thrower's team scores a two-point goal. However, it is NOT possible at that point for the free thrower's team to score a one-point goal, contrary to what most of us have always believed. Isn't it amazing that so many people have been doing this wrong for so long?
#rulestudy