Everyone,

For many years, my father worked as a teacher at an Indiana high school. Around the 60's or 70's, my dad saw something at a basketball game, that to this day he still talks about.

He was working as a radio commentator for his High School, which I believe was Whiteland. It was the end of the game, just a few seconds left, and the visiting team was leading by one point, and was inbounding the ball from underneath the home team's basket. The home team set up a full court press, hoping to steal the ball and make a quick basket. The crowd was going crazy. When the ball was inbounded, it was caught by a player from the visiting team. This player was so rattled by the crowd and pressure that he shot the ball AT THE WRONG BASKET. The buzzer sounded while the ball was in midair. The ball then dropped through the hoop. The crowd went bonkers...however, the official ruled that the basket was no good.

Needless to say, there was pandemonium, and the official had to be led out of the gymnasium by security. My dad has wondered for years, did the official make the right call? We have never been able to find out! Can someone help us? It is possible that current rules may not apply, since the game occurred many years ago.

Thanks for your reply, and I hope you enjoyed the story!

I think the call was correct--it is not a "shot" to shot at the wrong basket thus the end of game when time ran out---not true if shot was at the correct basket--time would not have run out until the try/shot ended

Correct call. Since the shot was attempted at the wrong hoop, it is not considered a try. Since it is not a try, the ball becomes dead when the horn sounds rather than when the shot ends.

Z

Obviously, a very smart man.

Gee, What if he (or she) was fouled on the non-try?

Can You get a 2 shot foul shooting at the wrong basket?

Yup, as long as the whistle for the foul went before the horn ended the quarter, AND the team that committed the foul had 10 or more fouls that half. What you can't have is a foul in the act of shooting.

So a basket at the wrong bucket does not count? what happens after it goes through? Ball dead endline spot?

Hmmm...are you sure about that?

Read the whole play, ace. The play was during the final buzzer. There is no throw-in. The game is over or there's OT.

Okay, I give up. Is there something wrong here?

The FOUL must occur prior to the buzzer. When the whistle sounds is not an issue.

Pretty much so. What did you spot?

Read the reply to j.a.r. above.

I'm not sure if you're asking a general question, or a question about this specific play.

Anytime a LIVE BALL passes through the basket, it counts as two points for the team whose basket it went through, unless it was a FT or a three-point try (or a pass from beyond the arc that was untouched). The team not credited with points has a throw in from anywhere along the endline.

In the play in question, the horn sounded and it wasn't a try, so the ball became dead immediately. Whether it went through the basket is of no consequence.