Free Throw Pause
 

Two scenarios.

Free throw shooter pauses mid stroke and then shoots.

Or

Free-throw shooter goes through normal motion but at the point of releasing the ball does not release the ball. He brings it back down and then goes back up and shoes.

NOn shooting team steps into the free-throw line before the release.

Or

Both teams step into the lane before the release.

Call? Is FED same as college?

If the shooter's motions resemble a shot and cause a player along the lane to step in, violation on the shooter.

9-1-3-b

The official needs to decide whether that motion was a fake / feint (whatever the wording is).

If so, it's a violation on the shooter.

If not, it's a violation on those entering early.

Some players do take a "practice motion", so while Camron's advice is a good guideline, I don't think it's absolute.

Agree. Those practice motions do not look like shots to me.

Call is same in both. Wording of rule is different. NFHS says can't "fake" a try. NCAA says can't "purposely fake" a try. NFHS you have to go to the case book note..9.3 something...it tells you that a shooter can stop his motion if he not "comfortable" :eek:and players along the lane need to hold positions…

I think Rules and the case book comment put onus on players along lane not to go in because they should be waiting for release. Only if you interpret it as a purposeful fake/ real fake/ attempt to draw them in... is violation on shooter. Clearly room for shooter to get a way with something…

I agree with this. Much like the onus is on a defensive lineman is to watch the ball rather than listening to a quarterback's snap count, so to is it the responsibility of the player in the lane space to confirm release by the free throw shooter rather than to assume it.

What does this mean to me? It means if I ever call a violation on the shooter for a fake, it better be so obvious that even my wife, who watches about two basketball games per year, could make the call.

Your analogy is not relevant. Neither the shooter (nor his team) is calling out a count that precedes the shot. It is the ball motion itself that they are watching....the same as in football. And in football, it is illegal for the center to start the motion of a snap and then stop it.

So, for basketball, where the indicator to enter the lane is the release of the ball, it should be illegal to make something look like the ball is about to be released. If the shooter has a bizarre motion that resembles the release before they actually release it, they do so at the risk it drawing a player in and being called for a violation.

This is how I view it as well.

Violation is to Fake. That's fraud..deceit. Higher burden to establish a fake than simply showing a bizarre motion and opponent enters.

If it looks funny, and draws them in, I'm calling it a fake. No "normal" shooting motion will cause an opponent to step in early. If they have that wacky of a shooting motion, they're probably not making many FTs anyway.

Steve Nash makes his full practice movements without the ball. If the shooter made that same movement with the ball, I'm certain that the rebounders would move into the lane, and the covering official would feel obligated to call a violation on the shooter.

Game Management
 

Did you notice this unusual motion during warm-up?
I watch players during the pregame warm-ups. Some players practice 3 pt shots, some practice their post moves and others practice their Free Throws. If you see this unusual motion, then you are prepared and can prep your partners before the game and possibly let players know when he is shooting Free throws. PREVENTIVE OFFICIATING