NFHS 5.2.1C vs. NCAA-W A.R. 113

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by Freddy

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Yes, 4.41.4 pertains to a three point attempt. However the text of 5.2.1 seems clearly to apply to a "thrown ball", vis a vis a "pass", as distinguished from a three point attempt:

5.2.1. A1 throws the ball from behind the three-point line. The ball is legally touched by: (a) B1 who is in the three-point area; (b) B1 who is in the two-point area; (c) A2 who is in the three-point area; or (d) A2 who is in the two-point area. The ball continues in flight and goes through A's basket.
RULING. In (a) and (b), three points are scored since the legal touching was by the defense and the ball was thrown from behind the three-point line. In (c), score three points since the legal touch by a teammate occurred behind the three-point line. In (d), score two points since the legal touch by a teammate occurred in the two-point area.

This distinction seems valid also according to 5-2-1:
A successful try, tap or thrown ball from the field by a player who is located behind the team's own 19-foot, 9-inch arc counts three points. A ball that touches the floor, a teammate inside the arc, an official, or any other goal from the field counts two points for the team into whose basket the ball is thrown.

Note that 5-2-1 specifically makes a distinction between a three point attempt and a throw, and it, not insignificantly, lacks any reference to the defender or opponent. This leaves room for this situation to be, in NFHS, to be 3 points......
Situation #1) A1, from behind the 3 point arc, throws a pass to A2 that strikes B2 who is standing inside the 3 point arc and then goes through the basket.

RULING:

Right?

No. Not right. Need to understand the intent and purpose of that rule. The whole purpose and intent of that rule is to remove the decision of intent of the thrower....shot or pass...when the ball is thrown at the basket and it goes in.

The cases and rules are generally written with a simple, basic case under consideration without complication.

The implication in the "thrown" ball that goes is is just that...a ball that is thrown and goes in without anything else complicating it. They left some room for a touch by a defender at the point of release but, with the phrase "continues in flight", it is implied that the flight of the ball to the basket is largely unchanged.

If it leaves the hands on a path that appears to be going to the basket and it goes in, even if tipped by the defender on the way to the basket, count it as 3. That rule was never intended to make a pass that was clearly not going in into 3 points because a defender batted it in. A ball that is thrown in a direction where it is clearly not going in ceases to qualify for the purpose of the thrown ball rule. The action that put it in the basket is the deflection itself, not the original thrown.