IAABO Free Throw Restrictions (Continued) ...

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

... no justification in the current NFHS rules ... the old rule from the 1990s ...

Agree on both counts.

This rule (below) appeared in the 1996-97 NFHS Basketball Rulebook, the year before they, again, changed release to hit.

9-9: No opponent occupying a marked lane space shall break the plane of the free throw line. Note: The restriction applies until the ball touches the ring, or backboard, or until the free throw ends.

In my thirty-four years, the NFHS has gone from hit, to release, back to hit, and finally (hopefully), back to release. It makes my head spin.

Again, I like the IAABO rule, but as a loyal IAABO member, I am embarrassed as to how IAABO took over the role as an activist "rulemaker" here. In the past, it was bad enough when IAABO would come out with an odd, not NFHS rule based, interpretation, usually through their annual Refresher Exam, but this current situation is not just an odd interpretation, they have gone over the line and now appear to be making up their own rules, not just interpretations (which were bad enough), as they go along.

Did the NFHS overlook that they needed to change 9-9 along with the other free throw restrictions changes, or did they do it on purpose? It really doesn't matter which is the correct answer, IAABO does not have the authority to make up new rules that aren't there.