Two shot foul. Official administered ball to shooter for first free throw, backs out and then notices one of bottom spaces not occupied by defense. He signals for a free throw lane violation by defense and free throw subsuqently is missed. He points out violation and allows shooter to shoot first shot over. Initially, the official erred by not insuring lane space occupied by the defense, but was this the correct procedure given the circumstance? Please give rule and/or case # for this situation for future reference. Thanks

Defense must occupy bottom two spaces or it is a violation on the defense. Others may argue over whether or not the official should have done some preventive officiating (I believe that officials should), but once they have not done so, the violation exists and must be enforced.

8-1-3a
Each of the lane spaces adjacent to the end line shall be occupied by one opponent of the free thrower unless the resuming of play procedure is in effect.

9-1 A player shall not violate the following provisions governing free throws:

ART. 2 . . . An opponent of the free thrower shall occupy each lane space adjacent to the end line during the try, unless the resuming of play procedure is in effect and no teammate of the free thrower may occupy either of these lane spaces.

2. If the violation is by the free-thrower's opponent only:
a. If the try is successful, the goal counts and the violation is disregarded.
b. If the try is not successful, the ball becomes dead when the free throw ends, and a substitute throw shall be attempted by the same free thrower under conditions the same as for the free throw for which it is substituted.

This is a double lane violation. One for Defense NOT being in the first lane space, and one for the Offense BEING there when he shouldn't be. (See ART 2 in Hawk's post, disregard the rest of it). If the ref notices it before the ball is at the disposal of the free thrower, he should just tell the kids to get in the right spaces. If he notices it after the thrower has the ball (like in your example), blow the whistle right away, no shot, or if the kid does shoot, basket can't count.

If this is the last free throw, then you administer by AP possession. If there is one more shot, players occupy correct lane spaces, thrower shoots, and play on from made or missed free throw.

PS It should ALWAYS be noticed before thrower gets ball.
That is the official's job, otherwise, he screwed up.

Where did he say that an offensive player was occupying the spot? I only see where he said the defender was not occupying it. Or are you just assuming?

marty points out something that he assumes happened, while I assumed the opposite. I assumed an empty first space, in which case, my answer stands. If the space was occupied by the offense, then Marty is correct. We both should have requested more info before answering - but I saw no mention of the offense being in the first space.

Marty,
 

This was not a double lane violation. The offense (shooting team) was in their right spaces. The defense did not fill one of the bottom spaces and it was empty. And YES the administering official screwed up. He admitted it but there was still a violation by not having one of the lower spaces filled by the defense. All that I wanted to know was was this the correct call/procedure and where in the rule/case book is this outlined? Thanks

Re: Marty,
 

While, yes, the official made a mistake, it is still ultimately the defensive team's requirement to fill the space. There's enough blame to pass around here.

Casebook
 

Situation 9.1.2 beginning on page 61 of the 2002-03 Casebook.

One last point for the coaches who drop by the board. If you are the offensive team AND the defensive team fails to fill the block AND your player decides to hop in AND the ref doesn't catch it until your shooter has the ball - you will lose a FT. It is an odd result of this violation that really starts with the defense not being in the right spot. Your player, by assuming the wrong spot, has also violated and on a double violation, your FT is now gone.

And I was expecting you to "quote" the rule book in your first post! :(

Takes too long to type all that stuff out :D

This happened to me last night. I was lead administering the 1st of 2. I checked and had defenders in the low blocks. Ready to bounce. Horn...subs. Partner brings them in. I bounce the ball to the shooter and as I step back, I see that the defender that was there (low block opposite the table) is now gone. Where did he go? He was at the top of the lane. He must have moved when I looked to the table to verify how many subs were coming in/going out.

It was my error for not RE-checking the blocks.

I try to do the same thing every time.

Tell myself (and sometimes out loud)
1. Blue down low
2. Let it hit and play straight up

Scott-
What if neither team is BLUE?

AK ref SE

Tisk tisk tisk
 

Camron what was your partner doing bringing subs in on the first freethrow of a two shot foul?

Was either team Blue?

Hawk: I guess I figured there was a player in the other lane space, otherwise it would have been REALLY obvious that it was unoccupied. You were right, sorry.

DOH! I hope there was an implied smilie in there.

If not, this was an example for a foul on blue, where the home team is shooting and its the last shot of a 2 shot foul.

How's that?

Re: Tisk tisk tisk
 

Actualy, I stated the situation wrong---brain freeze. He didn't bring them in before #1. The horn had blown for subs, he told them to wait. I think that is where the confusion occured. The player that was in the blocks moved thinking the expected incoming sub was going to take the spot. I didn't catch that he changed places and left the low block empty.

Does anyone else see this as a possible team technical foul?

10-1-5b Delay the game by preventing the ball from being made promptly live or from being put in play.

9.1.2 ....In this case, the trail official uses the resuming-play procedure even though the first spaces are not occupied, whereas in other cases, the spaces would have to be properly occupied before the official would proceed with the free throw administration.

From these two citations it appears that the defensive team is delaying the game since the official is required by rule not to administer the free throw until the bottom spaces are properly occupied. I do not believe that the game should be held up for a team that does not promptly come and fill these spaces. Just as we T the free throw shooter who is not in the semi-circle under 10-3-7c.

I will end this by saying that this interpretation is quite harsh (Remember that I wrote "possible team technical" above, not automatic.) and that I would not call it unless I was standing in the lane with the ball with a free throw shooter waiting for me to administer and the defensive team was elsewhere ignoring us. (For example, huddling at their bench.) However, I do believe that the T is justified by the rules.

[Edited by Nevadaref on Dec 12th, 2002 at 01:45 AM]

If the official told B to occupy the lower two spaces, and B refused, then it's a delay T on B (assuming the resuming of play procedure is not ine effect).

If the official (as in the case in this thread) just did not notice B was not in the space, then it's just a violation on B. Treat it the same as if B was in the space, but left it early.