Basic Knowledge Regarding Officials and Free Throws

As any true basketball follower knows, the responsibility for a team winning or losing lies with the officials. If a team doesn’t win, the officials should be blamed. Following any loss the head coach should defend his players for “doing all they could” under the circumstances and immediately change the conversation to the subject of playing "five against eight." After all, the players need to understand that it was not their play that caused the loss, but rather the calls, or lack thereof, made by the officials.

A true basketball follower also knows that it is not wise to take the ball aggressively to the basket. This would cause the probability of being fouled in the act of shooting to increase to an unacceptable level and result in shooting of many free throws. Free throws are a departure from the normal pace of basketball, serve to slow the game down, and are not at all desirable. A “safer” strategy is to take shots from outside of the lane, preferably from three-point range as those shots, as the name indicates, count for three points on the odd chance you should happen to make one of them.

When the offensive team takes free throws some feel it places the burden on the defensive team to “block-out” and attempt to secure any rebounds that might occur from missed free throw attempts. This, quite frankly, is a waste of effort. A free throw is a simple shot and the expectation is that the player taking the free throw and his teammates will not really care about the result of the attempt. Thus, no unnecessary effort should be made to “block-out” during free throw attempts. This is especially true in the case of playing while leading in the score. Whichever team gains possession of the basketball, the normal flow of the game will be continued.

In the event of leading in the score with less than a minute remaining in the game, do not make any effort to pass the ball if the other team desires to foul you. If the other team insists on fouling in an attempt to force you to take free throws it is better to get it over with quickly. Let them foul, then quickly take the free throw so that the normal flow of the game play can resume. No regard should be given to making the free throw, because, well...as noted above free throws are just a problem that disrupts the overall flow of the game.

If the case is such that late in the game the opposing team should be required to make a three point shot in order to tie the score, then the flow of the game should be disrupted by forcing the opposing team to take free throws. This can be accomplished by guarding the opposing player as closely as possible, even to the extent of positioning your body up against theirs, making it easier for the opposing player to create contact with you in an attempt to “draw a foul” in order to have the opportunity to take free throws. Obviously this player is misguided in his understanding of the game in determining that free throws are important.

If the opposing team fails to show the appropriate disregard for their free throws and should happen to make three free throws and force the game into overtime, ultimately leading to a loss for your team in the overtime period, it will only serve to reinforce the overarching point that the responsibility for a team winning or losing lies with the officials.

Any attempts to control the outcome of games via strategy or team performance should be recognized as being futile.