A player is standing behind the 3-point line. For some reason, instead of shooting the ball directly at the hoop, he decides to bounce the ball off the floor into the basket. However, the ball bounces within the 3-point arc, even though he is standing outside of it. If the ball goes in, does this count as a 3-pointer?
Looks like according to Rule 5, Section I, c (1-3) so long as the shooter is outside the three-point line it doesn’t matter what the ball hits afterwards, so long as it is not another player (which would change the identity of “the shooter”).
Thanks.
Eh, I’m not so sure. The question is whether bouncing the ball off of the floor in such a manner can be considered as attempting a shot. If it was determined that the player was trying to make a bounce pass and the ball went through the goal, then I would think it could only be scored as two points.
I’m not sure how it would be interpreted either, but see Rule 4, Section XI – Field Goal Attempt. That defines what constitutes a field goal attempt and to me the key words there are “shooting motion.” I suppose it would be up to the refs in a particular game to make the call, but to me, bouncing the ball is not a shooting motion.
Yes, but in some situations like a fast break, it would obviously not be a pass. Also, in the unlikely case of someone perfecting such a shot, a determination would need to be made.
True. If a player came into the league with a shot like this, then I guess the NBA would need to clarify exactly what “shooting motion” means. Barring that, though, it would be up to the referees assigned to a particular game to make the determination based on the rules as they’re currently written.
Not that it’s quite the same thing, but an errant alley-oop pass that goes in the basket is counted as a 3 pointer.
Considering baskets have been scored after boucing off another player’s body, from a lying down position, and any number of odd angles, I have to imagine a willing attempt to bounce it in would be OK.
From Rule 4, Section XI the key sections are:
- “The term is also used to include the flight of the ball until it becomes dead or is touched by a player.”
- “However, anytime a live ball is in flight toward the rim from the playing court, the goal, if made, shall count, even if time expires or the official’s whistle sounds.”
The first point only rules out the times when a ball is touched by a person, out of bounds, illegal obstacle, etc. None of these are the playing surface itself. The 2nd point buttresses the idea that a ball in motion prior to the clock going out continues it’s motion until point one is violated. So, a shot that bounces counts.
I couldn’t find anything related to location of the bounce, but I’d be willing to bet that the refs would award the points based on where the ball last touched the ground since a shot would be viewed as originating from the last point of contact.
And not that anyone may care, but we actually have an answer thanks to a real life example. It counts.
I didn’t see that that is the result of a real-life shot, but rather the answer of some NBA spokesperson to some idle ruminations.
And I’m going to be pedantic and point out that “in flight” most certainly does not mean hitting the ground. So the rule quoted does not support the notion that a deliberately bounced ball is a shot from the point and time where/when the player releases it. Which isn’t to say that that’s not how it would be ruled in a game, just that it’s not what the rule says, strictly speaking.
We have examples (I’m too lazy at the moment to look them up on YouTube) of basketballs bouncing off of player’s heads or other body parts and into the hoop, and those count as made baskets. No shooting motion whatsoever. Also as noted earlier, an alley-opp pass that actually ends up in the hoop without the intended pass recipient touching the ball counts as a made shot. Unless they’ve changed the rules, I really don’t see the “shooting motion” part as really being all that well enforced.
Furthermore, I don’t see anything that would say that a shooter beyond the line, while shooting, the ball can’t touch or bounce off of anything prior to going in the hoop (other than something out of bounds or another player) which would render it anything less than a three-pointer. It certainly can bounce off the backboard or the hoop as many times as possible and would still count; why not the floor?
A player doesn’t have to make a shooting motion in order for a basket to count. The rules are clear about that. Any live ball that is in flight before an official’s whistle sounds or time expires and that goes through the hoop counts as a made basket (barring offensive goaltending), whether it was intentional or not. The question here is whether or not it would count as a 3-pointer.
The reason I mentioned “shooting motion” is because I don’t think it’s all that clear whether a ball that is bounced from outside the 3-point arc and then goes through the hoop would count as a 3-pointer. It will definitely count as a basket if it goes through. I’m just not sure it would be counted as a 3-pointer if a player outside of the arc bounces it inside of the arc, since it wouldn’t be obvious that it was intended to be a shot.
Sure, but what else could it bounce off of, other than another player, the backboard, basket ring, or floor? A basketball court is a big open space. Everything else IS out of bounds.
Pardon the hijack, but can I ask an unrelated NBA rules question? Players typically bounce the ball off the floor as they advance. This is to avoid the traveling foul. Could a player choose to juggle it instead?
No, that would be a traveling violation as well.
They could probably do it if they play for the Globetrotters, though.
So, the ball has to touch a playing surface (floor or backboard, etc) to avoid the traveling violation? And this prohibits a player from passing the ball to himself (via some high-arc trajectory) as well?
Yes, passing the ball to yourself would be a traveling violation.