Hands Up or Hands Down?

[The_Rookie]

Are players lined up in the lane spaces for free throws allowed to have their arms up?

I have had this in my games and some officials I worked with tell players hands down.

[APG]

There's nothing that says the hands have to be down...but you can make a case of disconcertion if a player put the hands up abruptly as the shot was going up.

[Raymond]

No spirit fingers.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

No spirit fingers.

Ask the boys, "why the jazz hands." It should stop.

OTOH, there's no basis for telling players to put their hands down. Ranks up there with moving everyone behind the division line on techs and ints.

[APG]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

No spirit fingers.

I'd have a hard time calling that disconcertion.

Realistically if a shooter is going to be "disconcerted" by this, then that player has zero concentration, and is going to be in trouble when the cute cheerleader in the corner starts doing that or some fan does the same thing too.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by AllPurposeGamer

I'd have a hard time calling that disconcertion.

Realistically if a shooter is going to be "disconcerted" by this, then that player has zero concentration, and is going to be in trouble when the cute cheerleader in the corner starts doing that or some fan does the same thing too.

I don't say anything until they start breaking out the choreography.

[APG]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

I don't say anything until they start breaking out the choreography.

Again, I have a real hard time imagining how 2-4 players wiggling their fingers along the lane line would "disconcert" anyone.

Of course, I'd be more shocked to see something like this in a boys game...by more than one person.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by AllPurposeGamer

Again, I have a real hard time imagining how 2-4 players wiggling their fingers along the lane line would "disconcert" anyone.

Of course, I'd be more shocked to see something like this in a boys game...by more than one person.

I'm not worried about jazz hands, I'm not going to really say anything until they start raising and lowering the arms in concert, just as the shooter is shooting.

[The_Rookie]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

I'm not worried about jazz hands, I'm not going to really say anything until they start raising and lowering the arms in concert, just as the shooter is shooting.

What about if hands are up beyond the width of their lane space or over the lane line? In otherwords, NOT Vertical?

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by AllPurposeGamer

Again, I have a real hard time imagining how 2-4 players wiggling their fingers along the lane line would "disconcert" anyone.

Of course, I'd be more shocked to see something like this in a boys game...by more than one person.

Funny thing, I did a formal (2 teams) college scrimmage yesterday and one of my partners told the star player for one of the teams that he had to stop doing this. He was in the spot right closest to the shooter.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by The_Rookie

What about if hands are up beyond the width of their lane space or over the lane line? In otherwords, NOT Vertical?

Find me the wording that restricts this in the rule book.

[The_Rookie]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Find me the wording that restricts this in the rule book.

Rule book talks about placement of feet..don't see anything about hands or arms. But I have had Vets I work with tell players arms down..thus the source of my confusion

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by The_Rookie

Rule book talks about placement of feet..don't see anything about hands or arms. But I have had Vets I work with tell players arms down..thus the source of my confusion

Did you ever ask them the question - (nicely of course) - "Really? Can you cite me the rule or let me know where to look in the book as I don't recall that one?"

I don't mean that in a sarcastic way. But, it may also cause the "vets" to look for it after the game too and make them go hmmm......

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by AllPurposeGamer

Again, I have a real hard time imagining how 2-4 players wiggling their fingers along the lane line would "disconcert" anyone.

Of course, I'd be more shocked to see something like this in a boys game...by more than one person.

I am going to play devil's advocate here and will ask you the following question: What does the word 'disconcertion' mean to you. How does this relate to: NFHS R4-S20-A1: A free throw is the opportunity given a player to score one point by an unhindered try for goal from within the free-throw semicirlcle and behind the free-throw line. NCAA R4-S30-A1: A free throw is the previlige given a player to score one point by an unhindered try for goal from within the free-throw semicirlcle and behind the free-throw line.

The word 'unhindered' is the key to how we as officials handle this situation. I think that all of us would agree that if all of the defenisive players were to start saying "miss it", "miss it", "miss it" from the time the shooter received the ball from the time he released it on his free throw attempt, this would be a classic example of 'disconcertion'. "Playing the piano", which is what I call the waving of one's hands/fingers, is really no different that saying "miss it", "miss it". It is disconcertion because the shooter is not receiving an "unhindered" free throw attempt. The defense can hold there arms up, but it can not "play the piano".

MTD, Sr.

[APG]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

I am going to play devil's advocate here and will ask you the following question: What does the word 'disconcertion' mean to you. How does this relate to: NFHS R4-S20-A1: A free throw is the opportunity given a player to score one point by an unhindered try for goal from within the free-throw semicirlcle and behind the free-throw line. NCAA R4-S30-A1: A free throw is the previlige given a player to score one point by an unhindered try for goal from within the free-throw semicirlcle and behind the free-throw line.

MTD, Sr.

I can tell you it ain't no "jazz hands."