3-Point Shot

[ChuckElias]

Originally posted by Snaqwells
One needn't look very deep to see the logical answer to this, Chuck. If a shot goes in from the perimeter, how many points are given if the ref does not signal?
If a shot goes in from the perimeter and the ref raises his hands, it's worth an extra point for distance.
two arms up = one point

I see your point here, Adam, I really do. It's just wrong, that's all. Camron provided the historical perspective needed to prove the point. I should've thought of it previously.

Until about the 1996-97 season (Mark DeNucci can probably nail down the exact season for us), each type of basket had its own signal. A FT was designated by extending the arm parallel to the floor with one finger extended. A 2-point FG was designated by the extended arm with 2 fingers extended. And the 3-point FG was designated by the touchdown signal. So historically, the 3-point signal was a separate signal, and was necessary to distinguish it from other types of scores. Back then, there was never any thought that it simply indicated awarding an extra point. It was telling the scorer to put 3 points in the book.

The fact that the 1- and 2-point signals have been eliminated doesn't change the value of the touchdown signal. It tells the scorer, "that was three!"