At a team camp tournament this weekend, when a player on the gold team was going to shoot two free throws, no gold players were on the lane for the first free throw. They congregated behind the free throw shooter at the top of the key. They were not the least bit disconcerting, and they did not appear to have any particular purpose. They only occasionally even spoke to each other. After the first free throw, two of the players took their places on the lane, sometimes touching hands with the shooter on the way past. The delay was brief, but it occurred on all two-shot fouls. It didn't particularly bother me or any of my partners, but is this something I should have put a stop to just on principle? Do I have any grounds to prevent their routine?

It is no big deal, let it go.

There's no rule against what they were doing, and "disconcertion" only applies to opponents anyway.

Fuggedaboutit.

If the delay was significantly longer you might say something.

Distracting their teammate while shooting would just be plain stupid anyways.

let it go

What principle is this? If it's unusual it has to be illegal?

You are worrying about little stuff.
I'm going to give you the strict rules book interp on this play, but then I'm also going to advise you to let it go.

1. There is absolutely no requirement for the offensive team to have anyone along the lane in the marked spaces during any FT. Only the DEFENSE must fill the bottom two spaces. Teammates of the FT shooter are definitely allowed to stand behind the FT semicircle for the first FT and then move into spaces for the second FT, if that is what they wish to do. There is nothing that you can or should do about this practice.

2. The only MINOR infraction that they are committing is contacting the free thrower on their way to those spaces. (Giving him a little low five or hand slap is technically not allowed, but no one bothers to call it.)

SECTION 46 WARNING FOR DELAY
A warning to a team for delay is an administrative procedure by an official which is recorded in the scorebook by the scorer and reported to the coach:
ART. 1 . . . For throw-in plane violations, as in 9-2-11.
ART. 2 . . . For huddle by either team and contact with the free thrower, as in 10-1-5c.
ART. 3 . . . For interfering with the ball following a goal as in 10-1-5d.

Rule 10 Fouls and Penalties
SECTION 1 TEAM TECHNICAL
A team shall not:
ART. 5 . . . Allow the game to develop into an actionless contest, this includes the following and similar acts:
c. Contact with the free thrower or a huddle of two or more players by either team prior to a free throw following the team warning for this delay.


So, if you were to do anything at all on this play, strictly by the book, you could issue a team warning for delay and if they did it again, you could call a team technical foul. This is probably NOT a good idea.

The low-five/hand slap/pat on the butt is not illegal. It's only illegal to delay the game by doing these things.

If we have to way 3 seconds for them to get to the spots to which they're legally entitled, and they get there within those 3 seconds, I don't care if they pants the FT shooter. They haven't delayed, so there's no warning or T warrented.

I've never seen that happen. I pant when I see the cheerleaders, and I've seen a player de-pants the free throw shooter.

What's the penalty for that? ;)