Questions from a coach

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by ttt

Thank you, that is how it happened. In the play that I speak of, it just seemed to be a bit more drawn out. The player started the motion for a lay-up, a reach occurred, then the shooter ball faked and the shot followed. It was just different in the fact that the official stated out loud "shooting two, continuation." The official did chat with me and as I stated earlier he said that continuation was absolutely in the book.

I don't know which book your official meant, but the word 'continuation' does not appear in the NFHS basketball rule book.

The concept, however, applies: the ball remains live until the end of the try, and, as Bob mentions, a "ball fake" might have indicated that it was NOT a try. At that point, the ball is dead, and we enforce the penalty for the foul.

I think I would have to see your play to rule definitively on it. In general, however, many officials fail to award free throws on plays where they should because they don't know when a try begins.