A free throw in basketball is a throw that is performed by a player as appointed by the referee if the opponent has violated the rules in relation to him. In this article, we will take a closer look at the rules regarding a free throw, consider the technique of its implementation and other fascinating facts.
general information
A free throw in the ring in basketball is considered a great opportunity for the team. It allows you to gain from one to three points without resistance of the enemy, from a convenient position. As a rule, such a punishment is imposed if, at the moment when the player throws the ball around the ring, the opponent has violated the rules against him. If the ball falls into the ring after a foul, the points are counted, and one throw is awarded in the form of a penalty. In other cases, two times. But there is one exception: if a foul against a basketball player was fouled when he threw from a three-point position, he is given three shots in the event of an unscored goal, and one if he hit the ring. A free throw in basketball may be awarded as a result of other obvious violations of one of the teams. In a technical foul, any of the team members does it. Each goal scored from a free kick brings one point.
Marking the basketball court in the free-kick area
The free throw, like other basketball rules, was coined by James Naismith in 1891. The line of the free-throw in basketball was originally located at a distance of about six meters from the point that would have formed when the center of the ring was projected onto the court. But literally in 1895, this distance was reduced to 4.6 meters.
The penalty line runs parallel to the front. The distance between the nearest (relative to each other) edges of these two lines is 5.8 meters. Their midpoints lie on one imaginary line. The length of the penalty line is 3.6 meters. Penalty (restricted) zone - the area allocated on the site, the edges of which are the front, penalty lines and two connecting them. The outer edges of the penalty area begin at a distance of 3 m from the middle of the front and end at the end of the penalty line. Thus, the restricted area is a trapezoid. However, it is often drawn in the form of a rectangle. This area may vary in color, but should have the same as the center circle.
The free-throw area is a zone, which is a semicircle, expanded towards the center of the court, with the center lying in the middle of the line from which the free-throw shot is made in basketball. The distance from the edge to the edge of the penalty area is the diameter of this semicircle. It is also applied on the other side of the line - in a limited area. The only difference is that on this side the semicircle is dotted.
rules
In what cases a free throw is assigned, we found out, now we will get acquainted with the rules governing its implementation.
Player who takes a free throw:
- Must be inside a semicircle, on the corresponding line.
- Can throw the ball into the basket in any way. The ball should hit the basket from above or ricochet from the ring.
- Must throw the ball within 5 seconds from the moment when it will be passed by the referee.
- It must not touch the penalty line or the court outside it until the ball is in the basket or touches the ring.
- It does not have the right to simulate a throw.
Now we will consider the rules of the free throw in basketball, concerning other players. A maximum of five players (2 attackers and 3 defenders) can occupy the line along the penalty area. In this case, two players (attacker and defender) become on the one hand, and three (attacker between the defenders) - on the other. The first position on both sides must be occupied by opponents of the player throwing a free kick.
Players who stand along the penalty area are not allowed to:
- Take the wrong position.
- Leave his position until the ball is released from the throwing player.
- Touch the ball before it hits the ring, or it will be obvious that it will not hit the basket.
- Touch the shield and basket when the ball is in contact with the ring.
- Knock the ball out of the basket below.
- Take any action after the throw if one or two more follows.
A free throw in basketball and any action related to it ends when the ball:
- Gets into the basket.
- It touches the floor.
- Out of bounds.
Interesting Facts
In the NBA, Rick Barry is the most successful free-kick player. Over the 14 years of his professional career, he brought his team the main points precisely due to the implementation of free throws. Rick sold 90 percent of his scammers.
As statistics show, penalty kicks are best scored by low backline players. Center basketball players have a low percentage of free throws. In professional basketball, they are sometimes deliberately foul against them, especially at the end of the game. Such a strategy is used against some well-known center players who poorly implement a free throw. Among them are: Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O'Neill and Ben Wallace. The tactics of mastering the ball through a foul and an unrealized free kick was called Hack-a-Shaq. It is very unreliable, because the player can score, so they will be used in urgent cases and only against really unsuccessful penalties.
Among the center players there are also those who implement the free throw well. The Lithuanians Arvydas Sabonis and ydruns Ilgauskas are particularly successful. By the way, Ilgauskas is one of the few NBA players who have the duty to throw free throws in the event of a technical foul.
How to throw
There are several popular free throw techniques: with two arms from below, with one arm from the shoulder, with two arms from the chest and others. Today, most players throw with one hand from the shoulder. The second hand only holds the ball. This method is already considered classic, while others cause open bewilderment among modern basketball players. Surprisingly, until the 1950s, the most common method was “from under the skirt” (with two hands from the bottom). The classic version at that time obeyed only some players.
Free throw technique
In basketball, the perfect shot is made with the whole body. The combination of swinging arms and bending the legs allows you to achieve a good result and repeat it every time. Before you complete the throw, you need to relax, lower your arms and inhale, looking at the target. Then, slowly, you need to throw the ball. The best stance for a successful throw - the legs are slightly bent at the knees, and the feet are located at shoulder width. At the same time, hands should reach for the basket. The size of the basketball allows you to conveniently control it at the throwing stages. The movement begins with the whole hand, continues with the brush and ends with the tips of the fingers. In the final stage, the fingers twist the ball.
Psychological aspect
The technique of a free throw in basketball is mastered quite quickly and easily. However, basketball players, even the most titled, often miss the penalty line. What is the reason? The thing is that the accuracy of the free throw depends more on psychological factors than on technology. Let's deal with them.
Performing a throw, you can not think about its consequences. Thoughts that a lot of people are looking at you, and you may not live up to their expectations, you should immediately throw it out of your head. In training, everything is much simpler, but the main goal of a basketball player is to show himself in competitions. Therefore, when doing a free throw, focus on the ring and the ball.
Don't worry about letting the team down. Your associates will probably understand that no one can throw free throws ideally, and they will do everything to win the selection in the event of your miss. Realizing this, leave the experience to the opponents and just do what you have succeeded hundreds of times in training.
Exercises to defeat experiences
Consider exercises that help you learn how to throw the ball without damaging emotions. Set yourself a difficult but real goal, for example, to score 5 penalties in a row. When you miss, increase the task by one throw. The level of your responsibility will increase with each new kid, because you will be sorry to lose already scored points. As a result, performing the same action, you will forget about emotions and will develop the technique in its purest form.
The second exercise is that you need to “stamp” free throws at high speed. Ask your partner to serve you balls. Here, the size of the basketball and its weight, or rather, the presence of the same in the hall, play a role. If they are all different, the exercise will not take place.
Conclusion
Today we learned in more detail what constitutes a free throw in basketball. Based on the foregoing, it can be concluded that the skill of throwing from the penalty line is one of the basic and mandatory for every basketball player. Indeed, regardless of the distribution of roles in the team, everyone can be on the penalty line. Therefore, if you intend to succeed in basketball, practice free throws and bring them to automaticity.