Surprise FT Shooter: Washington-Arizona
 

Anyone see this game last night?

Washington big man receives a long pass on break. Catches it in the paint and goes up for a try. Gets fouled by Arizona. Try is no good.

The fouled player either lost a contact or had something happen to his eye/face. We see him over at his team area being attended to.

But then we see free throws being administered. And a Washington guard is taking the FT. (?!) He misses the first one.

Now the officials realize something might be amiss.

They go to the table and talk. Then they get the coaches in for a conference.

The TV announcers said that there were only 4 Washington players on the floor when the FT was attempted. Also, that the guard (who had been in the game when the foul happened, I believe) had a much better FT shooting percentage than the big man.

Conference ends. Coaches seem ok with whatever was decided.

And they put the big man back on the line for two shots. He makes them both. :)

I'm a first year official so I don't know, but did they get this right? Wrong shooter is correctible, right? My guess is even if the guard had made the first free throw and they realized the mistake, they'd have taken the point off the board. What if he'd made both? Would it have become unfixable at the first whistle after Arizona's subsequent possession?

It becomes uncorrectable after the first live ball following the proper starting of the clock.

1. FTs made.
2. Ball inbounded.
3. Basket made.

Once the thrower has the ball for this throwin, or the official starts his count, it's too late.

gotcha, thanks. another question:

if the original shooter became injured as a result of the foul, the washington coach could've put in a sub from his bench to shoot the FTs, right?

and then the original shooter has to sit out at least a tick.

my question is: is there anything in the RULES that prevents a coach from doing this every time a poor free-throw shooter gets fouled and goes to the line?

it would be transparently scummy. and no doubt the coach would earn the scorn of all his peers.

but is there anything (other than decency) that prevents him from saying, "Oh, my 33% FT shooter is going to the line? I need to put in a sub for those shots. my guy, uh, got a stinger when he was fouled."

In high school, nothing prevents this except integrity and sportsmanship. It seems to be working.

In NCAA, however, the rule is different. If, on a personal foul that is neither intentional nor flagrant, the fouled player cannot shoot his free throws, the opposing coach picks a shooter from the other 4 players.

NCAAM? The opposing coach gets to choose a shooter from among the four other players who were on the floor.