Lane occupation
 

When a coach refuses to put players in the first lane space after a time-out, the penalty is for a miss, a retry, then a T. But what about during a normal free-throw. Do they HAVE to put both, and what is penalty?

Yes, both spots have to be filled (assuming the team has at least two players). If you ask them to fill the spots and they don't, it's an immediate T.

Look up the difference between continuing play and resuming play
 

The resumption of play is after a time out. Continuing play is without a timeout. The penalties are different.

What is the rationale for the first two spaces having to be occupied by the opponents of the FT shooter. Why can the coach elect to not have anyone there if he wants to?

Filling the first 2 spots is mandatory under the rules. A coach simply has no options when it comes to filling them, as long as he has 2 players available. Filling the other lane spots isn't mandatory.

If you don't fill the bottom mandatory spots, you're deliberately delaying the game.

JR,
You didn't answer his question. He asked why is that the rule?

OK, Just for $hit$ and giggles, what if a team has had all but one player foul out, and the other team is awarded FTs. It is impossible to fill both spots. Now what? :D

Per this Case Book play:

*10.1.5 SITUATION C: The calling official has reported the foul and proceeds to his/her proper position for the first of two free throws awarded to A1. B1 and B2 are: (a) huddling in the lane; or (b) two B players are not occupying the first two marked spaces next to the end line as required. RULING: In (a), if the huddle delays the officials' administration, Team B is warned. The warning is recorded by the scorer and reported to the head coach. If Team B had been previously warned for delay, a technical foul shall be charged. In (b), Team B will be directed to occupy the required spaces. If there is delay, a technical foul shall be charged to Team B. (4-47)

I'll go back and answer it again then.

I don't know. Basically, it's a rule and whatever the rationale for it is doesn't really matter. We just call it the way the rulebook tells us to call it.

There's an old thread around somewhere on this one. Iirc somebody dug up a reference saying that there is no penalty(FT violation or "T") if a team was down to one player and couldn't fill the spot.

Actually, the story is even better than that.

I personally wrote a post on this forum a few years ago about a team getting down to one player, but being ahead. Since they have a chance to win, the game is allowed to continue. Now the team with only one player commits a foul and FTs will be awarded. I posited that as a ploy to avoid losing the opposing coach could instruct his FT shooter to purposely miss the try, but make the ball contact the ring. Since at the time, the rules stated that it was a violation by the defense to not fill the bottom TWO lane spaces, the shooter would automatically get another try and no time could come off the clock. This process could continue infinitely and the game theoretically would never end.
So, someone sent my post to the NFHS rules committee and they made the ruling that a team cannot be penalized for failing to occupy BOTH lane spaces if only one player remained in the game. That player does have to occupy one of the spaces and the opponent may NOT occupy the other.

Here is the NFHS interp:

2003-04 NFHS BASKETBALL RULES INTERPRETATIONS

SITUATION 2: Team A started the game with seven team members in the scorebook. All team members foul out but one, A1. Team A is leading by eight points with 38 seconds left in the game with a chance to win. A1 fouls B2 with Team B in the bonus. A1 occupies one of the first marked lane spaces for the free throw, with no teammate to occupy the other required space. RULING: By rule, a team may continue to play with one player if that team has an opportunity to win the game. Accordingly, since Team A can only put one player in the required free-throw marked lane space, it cannot be penalized. Further, Team B may not occupy the first marked lane space left vacant by Team A. (3-1-1 Note, 8-1-3)