Saw this one in a middle school game (it was a tourney so I do not remember who the teams were) Player A, on red team, is behind the threepoint line and throws a pass to his teamate. While in the air it is deflected by a red team members shoulder, also behind the three point line, and goes into the basket. (Seriously, the crowd went nuts!) :dancingpa

 

The officials gave the red team three points.

 

Questions:

1. Was that correct? I thought a three point try had to be attempted.

2. What if it had hit a defensive player behind the three point line and went in?

3. I think i know the answer to this one but the passer is behind the three point line and the person it hits is not, is it two points whether it hits offense or defense and goes in?

I'll defer to Clyde on this one as he's pretty much the rules expert, but I'm 99% certain the call was correct.

 

The ball was last touched by a player - I don't think it really matters which team touched it last - beyond the arc, so it was three points.

 

It's really no different than a player who steals a ball and - in his excitement - turns and shoots at the wrong goal. Or a player who, battling for a rebound, inadvertently taps the ball into the wrong goal...

 

I don't think "shot" can really be defined... I've seen some pretty ugly shot styles...

 

The bottom line is which goal does it go in (defines who gets the points) and where was the ball when it was touched last (inside or outside the arc).

It's three points as long as the ball was not touched by someone inside the 3-point arc.

It's three points as long as the ball was not touched by someone inside the 3-point arc.

 

I am not disputing this because I am not sure of the correct answer, but why does it matter that the person that touched it was outside the 3 point line.

 

If a player attempts a 3-point shot and the player guarding him jumps from inside the 3-point line to block it and makes slight contact on the ball, but the ball still goes in, that would be a 3-point basket.

 

So, what is the difference?

 

I do know last year in a game I witnessed, the offensive player made a pass from outside the 3-point line that deflected off an opponent and into the goal. The officials awarded that as a 3-pointer. Again, they may have been wrong, but that is how it was ruled.

I am not disputing this because I am not sure of the correct answer, but why does it matter that the person that touched it was outside the 3 point line.

 

If a player attempts a 3-point shot and the player guarding him jumps from inside the 3-point line to block it and makes slight contact on the ball, but the ball still goes in, that would be a 3-point basket.

 

So, what is the difference?

 

I do know last year in a game I witnessed, the offensive player made a pass from outside the 3-point line that deflected off an opponent and into the goal. The officials awarded that as a 3-pointer. Again, they may have been wrong, but that is how it was ruled.

 

I agree. My previous post was poorly worded. It should have read "where the ball was when it was LAUNCHED" (as opposed to last touched).

 

I don't think officials really have the latitude to decide whether something was intended to be a pass or a shot.

I am not disputing this because I am not sure of the correct answer, but why does it matter that the person that touched it was outside the 3 point line.

 

If a player attempts a 3-point shot and the player guarding him jumps from inside the 3-point line to block it and makes slight contact on the ball, but the ball still goes in, that would be a 3-point basket.

 

So, what is the difference?

 

I do know last year in a game I witnessed, the offensive player made a pass from outside the 3-point line that deflected off an opponent and into the goal. The officials awarded that as a 3-pointer. Again, they may have been wrong, but that is how it was ruled.

 

 

The only thing I can see is that when any player touches it inside the arc, it becomes a try or deflected shot from the point it was touched.

The defense cannot make a try for the basket so their touch isn't a try and it would be where the offense try began or began again.

I will double check and look it up tonight. I think the deflection nullifies the three.

If the ball is deflected into the basket 2pts should be awarded regardless of who deflected it. It must be a "try for goal" to warrant 3pts.

Straight out of the NFHS Casebook. 5.2.1 Situation C: A1 throws the ball from behind the three-point line. The ball is legally touched by: (a) B1 who is in the three-point area; or (b) B1 who is in the two-point area: © A2 who is in the three-point area: or (d) A2 who is in the two-point area. The ball continues in flight and goes through A's basket. Ruling: In (a) and (b), three points are scored since the legal touching was by the defense and the ball was thrown from behind the three-point line. In ©, score three points since the legal touch by a teammate occurred behind the three-point line. In (d), score two points since the legal touch by a teammate occurred in the two-point area. Hope this clarifies.

Edited January 7, 201016 yr by madman
typing

Straight out of the NFHS Casebook. 5.2.1 Situation C: A1 throws the ball from behind the three-point line. The ball is legally touched by: (a) B1 who is in the three-point area; or (b) B1 who is in the two-point area: © A2 who is in the three-point area: or (d) A2 who is in the two-point area. The ball continues in flight and goes through A's basket. Ruling: In (a) and (b), three points are scored since the legal touching was by the defense and the ball was thrown from behind the three-point line. In ©, score three points since the legal touch by a teammate occurred behind the three-point line. In (d), score two points since the legal touch by a teammate occurred in the two-point area. Hope this clarifies.

 

Bingo.

WOW so three points even if defense touches it inside arc. Try explaining this one to a coach...

WOW so three points even if defense touches it inside arc. Try explaining this one to a coach...

 

Why so surprised? If you and I are inside the arc, and I'm defending against your shot and partially block it, but it still goes in, you get two points. Simply looking at this from a common sense perspective, why should this be any different?