Need some help on a free throw situation.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

Disagree. All games created by humans are defined by the words chosen to describe how to play. By definition the only right call is the one found in the book. Any other call is just a personal opinion. Need I remind you that the NFHS has strongly stated that officials are not to eschew the rules in favor of their personal beliefs?

Once again, you miss the point.

"it is important to know the intent and purpose of a rule so that it may be intelligently applied in each play situation...." (NFHS Basketball Rulebook, preface)

The rules are written in a concise form to give the official a framework from which to call the game, covering the basic situations and some combined/complicated situations. It doesn't foresee every possible combination or sequence of events. It is up to the official to make the right decision given their understanding of the intent and purpose of a rules, not just the ability to read/recite the rule. To blindly apply a rule based solely on the letter of what is written in the specific rule as you insist, without regard to intent/purpose, is in direct contraction with the overall guiding principle laid out in the preface to the rules.

Sometimes, the more common situations make it to interpretations or casebook plays, but not always. One example is ignoring a throwin plane violation with 5 seconds on the clock....no direct support in the rules but has been established as the right thing to do....just this one was eventualy published in a case play. There are other less common situations that will occur but will never make it to the casebook but, at the same time, should be adjudicated with intelligence, not blind application of a rule not meant for the situation.