10 seconds on an FT

[A Pennsylvania Coach]

Anyone ever seen this or called it? I've never seen it called in my life, but I almost had to call it a couple weeks ago.

7th/8th CYO. I'm T, kid gets ball and takes four seconds doing his pre-shot dribbling routine. Then he brings the ball up and freezes. Completely motionless. Five, six, seven, ei....ght, n.........ine, shot (whew). Partner, who was a very successful coach for 15 years and now is a very successful vet official of about 10 years, makes eye contact with me and starts smirking. Second shot gets released at about 8 1/2.

At a timeout, he starts laughing about the situation. I ask him if he's ever seen it and he says no, but if he gets to 11 he'll call it. He also told me that we should try to say something to the kid. I don't really want to because I think that will mess with his head. Next time he gets fouled I'm T again. He gets both shots off at 7 or 8 and I figure it is a done deal. However, with less than two minutes left he goes to the line again, and again I'm T. His first one takes about 9.9 seconds. I take a couple steps in between throws to bring in the sub and I quietly tell the shooter that he only has ten seconds to shoot FTs. He nods, gets the next one off in about 6 and that's that.

I think he hit 5 of 6.

[co2ice]

Just mentioning the time limit to the shooter after the 1st shot is the best preventative officiating, I've done it twice and never had a problem, nor seen it called!

[bigwhistle]

I did make this call one time years ago. It was in a summer league game. My count was at 15 when I finally gave up and blew the whistle. The coach gave me the "you've got to be kidding" look until I smiled and told him that I had already made it to 15. He then nodded and resumed doing nothing.

[Junker]

One of my regular V partners called it in a girls' V game. I wasn't there to see it. It is the one goofy thing I haven't had to call.

[JugglingReferee]

I would talk to the player and possibly to hs/her coach as well, that your FT count nears 10s when that player is shooting. Would I ever call it? Hmph. If they hit 15s perhaps. By then, I'm voicing to shoot the ball.

[ILRef80]

I've never called it. But, I have gotten to 11 or 12 before they've shot it and if the shooter took more than another sec. or two, I probably would have gotten it.

[Rich]

It's much easier to ignore when you hold the number of shots up for 4-5 seconds before starting the wrist flick.

[BktBallRef]

Why would anyone not call it? Is there a reason you ignore it? Just don't like the rule? What? Do you ignroe 10 seconds in the BC?

I had it once. Kid took forever as I got to 10, he released it. Kinda woke me up. Next time, he's still dribbling when I get to 10. Tweet.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

Why would anyone not call it? Is there a reason you ignore it? Just don't like the rule? What? Do you ignroe 10 seconds in the BC?

I had it once. Kid took forever as I got to 10, he released it. Kinda woke me up. Next time, he's still dribbling when I get to 10. Tweet.

OK, fine, I'll take the bait. It's a stupid rule. I've never seen anyone count one-per-second on this, either. I'm gathering that you do.

EDITED to add: I've called this once, about 15 years ago.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

OK, fine, I'll take the bait. It's a stupid rule.

Then what should the rule be? 15 seconds, 20 seconds, an hour and a half? How about no time limit. We can just bring sleeping bags to the game.

Seriously, there's got to be some time limit. Ten seconds certainly seems fair. Why would a player need more than that? And if so, what would they need it for? It's just shooting a free throw.

[grunewar]

I was administering free throws to a yong man this weekend and my partner was counting, when the coach of the young man shooting actually yelled, "hurry up, you only have 10 seconds". He was right, the count was getting long. But talk about unnerving.....clank! I think the next shot left the boys hand a milisecond after I bounced it to him! No issues there.

I've never called it. I guess for me it would get kinda awkward if my partner is counting and gets to t....e...n, e....le....ven, t...w...elve, and one of our "gym helpers" starts yelling - "ten seconds." Ya know, kinda like when they yell "three seconds"......I know never to listen to em, but in this case they may be blatanlty right for all to see......and hear......and we are thi...rteen..... Hope it never comes up!!

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

Then what should the rule be? 15 seconds, 20 seconds, an hour and a half? How about no time limit. We can just bring sleeping bags to the game.

Seriously, there's got to be some time limit. Ten seconds certainly seems fair. Why would a player need more than that? And if so, what would they need it for? It's just shooting a free throw.

Of course.

However, I've never, NEVER seen this counted "straight," though, so it's never been a true ten-second violation. On top of that, many officials don't drop the signal to the table for number of shots until the player's had the ball for a bit.

It's never been something that's been counted or enforced aggressively, which is why most people haven't seen it more than once every 10 years.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

Of course.

However, I've never, NEVER seen this counted "straight," though, so it's never been a true ten-second violation. On top of that, many officials don't drop the signal to the table for number of shots until the player's had the ball for a bit.

It's never been something that's been counted or enforced aggressively, which is why most people haven't seen it more than once every 10 years.

I was addressing the comment that this was a "stupid" rule. My point is that there should be a rule about this and 10 seconds seems reasonable.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

It's never been something that's been counted or enforced aggressively, which is why most people haven't seen it more than once every 10 years.

You might be right that people don't count aggressively (whatever that means), but I suspect that the reasons people don't see it are numerous and include others. The main one, I think, is that virtually every kid shoots a FT in much less than 10 seconds.

[CoachP]

Carry a whistle AND a stopwatch.

It worked in MLB.

2B ump got out a stopwatch between pitches for Indians Rafael Betancourt against the Tigers.