A player has just received the ball for his first attempted free throw and he doesn't bounce the ball but his pre shot routine consist of a practice shot that goes about 4 feet above him(not towards the basket) then takes two dribbles then shoots. Is this legal or not?

Yes

Really? What if the practice shot disconcerts one of the defenders to step into the lane? Then you'll penalize the defender?

Yep, because the defender should not be in the lane until the ball hits the rim anyway.

In HS, players can't go in the lane til the ball first hits the backboard or rim anyway, why would this pre free throw ritual matter?

Crap. Good point. :)

Balls got to hit iron.

Bet $100.00 on that?

rim, net, or backboard

9-1,10

ring or backboard. Sorry, no net mentioned. Am I missing something? Please share!

So I am assuming that this would not be considered a fake?? 9-2,4.

What does the rulebook say about a fake attempt? Even with the fact that a defender shouldn't be jumping into the lane till the ball hits backboard or rim, I still just think a practice shot is wrong. I don't have my books handy, so I would be tempted to call this a fake attempt and penalize the shooter.

It may touch just the net, but if it did there would be no rebound to get. dead ball available for throw in

NFHS states 9-1,4 The free thrower shall not fake a try, nor shall any player in a marked lane space fake to cause an opponent to violate.

Man, that's just too big of a reach for me, Smitty. Call a ball thrown 4 feet straight above the FT shooter a practise shot? What is he practising? How to <b>miss</b> his free throw?

This is a nit that should never be picked. The kid just has his own way of getting himself prepared for his free throw. No harm/no foul--leave it alone and let him do it. We got a heckuva lot more things to worry about in a game than this one.

I don't know, man, I was just answering the guy's scenario. I've never seen anyone do this. I'm thinking the guy is using a pretty good free throw shooting motion to do this, so sure, I call it a practice throw.

Then what is a fake free throw attempt? Why is it called out in the rule book. If this doesn't classify as a fake attempt, then what does?

9-2,4 is concerning the throw in. I assume you mean 9-1,4

If you as an official deemed it a fake, then you could call it by rule. I personally would see it as a free throw ritual.

I'm sticking with...Players occupying the lane spaces should not enter the lane until the ball hits the ring or backboard.

To redhouse, I know what you meant. But that would be a violation on the FT shooter, not the players on the blocks.

Smitty, I've always thought taht a fake would be the entire motion as if shooting, but without releasing the ball. Seems to me a toss straight up, even with a sort of pseudo-shooting type of motion wouldn't look the same.

I'd really have to see it to have a clue anyway. I only answered in the first place because I was bored and it's a slow day. I'm curious, even with a fake free throw as you mentioned, what the harm is? If the earlier argument to my first response holds true, the players along the lane shouldn't be affected by a fake anyway, since they shouldn't be moving into the lane till the ball hits something, so what's the difference? I'm just curious is all - this really isn't that important to me.

I agree (1) that today is really boring. (2) that it really doesn't matter because the players have to wait for the rim anyway, and (3) that this really isn't very important to you!

I think the rule is probably a hold-over from when players could enter the lane on the release.