Fake Free Throw ...
 

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NFHS 9-1-3-B: After the ball is placed at the disposal of a free thrower: The free thrower must not fake a try …

NFHS 9.1.3 SITUATION A: A1, at the free throw line to attempt a final free throw, fakes the release of the ball. RULING: A violation by A1, Team B will be awarded a throw-in at the nearest spot. COMMENT: The faking of a free throw try is a violation. However, if A1 does not feel comfortable after starting his/her motion and stops to adjust, the players in the lane spaces are expected to hold their positions. (9-1-3b)

Not the first
 

Carmelo Anthony did the very same thing on the very same end in the same arena (I believe they play in the same arena as the Lakers) just this year.

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Peace

Stops To Adjust ...
 

While it was fairly obvious that Arike Ogunbowale intentionally faked her free throw (what was she thinking), is there any possibility that Carmelo Anthony did "not feel comfortable after starting his motion and stops to adjust"?

And, for sake of argument, if he did stop to adjust, with no intention of faking, how do we, in a high school game, penalize those non-shooters who prematurely moved and violated? Adjudicate just like any other free throw violation? Casebook play states that, under these circumstances, the "players in the lane spaces are expected to hold their positions". We can't have a do-over in high school basketball, can we?

Your citation already specifically addresses your question.

Fair ...
 

So adjudicate just like any other free throw violation. Just doesn't seem "fair".

I sometimes wish that the NFHS would occasionally allow "do-overs", especially with no impact on time.

If you're not going to follow the rule then you have to be able to explain what you are doing instead and why.

By The Book ...
 

Agree. When confronted with a really "odd" play, it's probably always best to go with the "book". Easier to explain to a coach, and to an assigner.

When my son was playing middle-school basketball, he had a bad habit of double-clutching free throws. Occasionally he'd be called with a violation (usually on the second FT if it drew a bunch of kids into the lane), but most times it would be ignored if no one else violated. In rare cases, he'd get the benefit of a do-over because his teammates learned to hold up while defenders would jump into the lane and draw the violation.

I'm happy to say he got over that stutter for HS ball, so no more concern there. It always made me nervous.

If his motion was natural then it really should not be a violation. I remember a player that I played against had a funky motion that he would dip down and then shoot. It was his every game motion and we were told by our coach to just wait for his motion to complete. I do not recall him ever being called for a violation. But again it is one of those things you have to see to know how natural it looks.

Peace

Right....no player is going to fake a FT in the first quarter. They're going to wait until the 4th when they need it. So, as an official, you get to see most of the players on the FT line a few times during the game. If they haven't done it in the 1st-3rd, then it is a fake.

Does Not Feel Comfortable ...
 

Unless the shooter does "not feel comfortable after starting his motion and stops to adjust". That could legally happen in the first minute of the first period, or the last minute of the fourth period.

Drawn In ...
 

If the uncomfortable shooter is legally allowed to start his motion and stop to adjust, it seems fair to not penalize the non-shooters who are drawn in, start their motion, and move across a line.

But the casebook play doesn't allow that.

It wasn't as consistent as an official would like it to be, I'll just say that. Definitely not intentional, but I can see how someone might think he was trying to fake out defenders now and then.

You were there, I was not. Just wondering because I have seen some funky motions over the years but if they do it like that all the time, hard-pressed to call a violation just because. I really have to think they are doing something to fake. That doesn't mean that was not the case here. Had 2 games this past year with a shooter faking and I have never seen that before in 27 years that I can recall.

Peace