Opponents Distracting Free Thrower ...

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

NCAA-W, NCAA-M, and IAABO (big deal) all say that opponents can be on the bench and, thus, fall under the distraction (disconcertion) rule.

That, along with the NFHS bench technical citation, should put this debate to bed for good.

I posted the NCAA-Men's rule. I didn't see where it stated yelling from the bench constitutes disconcertion/distraction.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Raymond

I didn't see where it stated yelling from the bench constitutes disconcertion/distraction.

The Forum debate that's been going on for years has not been about whether a particular act is distracting, or is not distracting, that's always been a judgement call to be deemed by the officials on the court.

The Forum debate has always been about the NFHS definition, or rather, the lack of a NFHS definition, of "opponent".

In regard to enforcing NFHS 9-1-3-C (No opponent must distract the free thrower), some have claimed that opponent only refers to, and is limited to, the opposing five players on the court, while others have maintained that an opponent can include both opposing players and opposing bench personnel.

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Whether, or not, bench personnel opponents can distract (disconcert) free throw shooters has been debated here on the Forum for many years. With no clear NFHS definition of "opponent", some have claimed that opponent only refers to the opposing five players on the court, while others have maintained that an opponent can include opposing bench personnel.

The NFHS Bench Technical 10-5-5-Penalty rule that I cited has little to do with distracting of a free throw shooter (it's about bench personnel fighting) other than being only NFHS citation that I can find referencing that opponents can, indeed, be on the bench, and thus don't have to be any of the five players actually on the court.

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Bench Technical 10-5-5-Penalty: The head coach is responsible for his/her own conduct and behavior, as well as substitutes, disqualified team members and all other bench personnel. Bench personnel, including the head coach, must not: Leave the confines of the bench during a fight or when a fight may occur … When a simultaneous technical fouls by opponents occurs, the free throws are not awarded when the penalties offset.

Whether, or not, opponents on the court, or opponents on the bench, are distracting (disconcerting) the free throw shooter is still a subjective judgment call by the officials.

Always has been.

Never said that it wasn't.