Goaltending
Encyclopedia
In basketball
, goaltending is the violation of interfering with the ball when it is on its way to the basket and it is (a) in its downward flight, (b) entirely above the rim and has the possibility of entering the basket, and (c) not touching the rim. In both NCAA basketball and NBA basketball
, goaltending is also called if the ball has already touched the backboard while it is above the rim in its flight, regardless of whether it is in upward or downward flight. Goaltending in this context defines by exclusion what is considered a legal block
of a field goal
. In high school and NCAA basketball, goaltending is also called when a player interferes with a free throw
at any time in its flight towards the basket.
If goaltending is called for interference with a field goal, the shooting team is awarded the points for the field goal as if it had been made. In high school and NCAA basketball, if goaltending is called on a free throw, the shooting team is awarded one point and a technical foul
is called against the offending player.
Goaltending is commonly confused with the related violation of basket interference
. Basket interference is like goaltending in that it involves interference with a field goal when it may still go through the basket; when the violation is made by the defending team, the shooting team is awarded points for the field goal as if it had been made.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, goaltending is the violation of interfering with the ball when it is on its way to the basket and it is (a) in its downward flight, (b) entirely above the rim and has the possibility of entering the basket, and (c) not touching the rim. In both NCAA basketball and NBA basketball
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, goaltending is also called if the ball has already touched the backboard while it is above the rim in its flight, regardless of whether it is in upward or downward flight. Goaltending in this context defines by exclusion what is considered a legal block
Block (basketball)
In basketball, a block , not to be confused with blocking, occurs when a defensive player legally deflects a field goal attempt from an offensive player. The defender must not touch the offensive player's hands or otherwise a foul is called. In order to be legal, the block must occur while the shot...
of a field goal
Field goal (basketball)
In basketball, the term field goal refers to a basket scored on any shot or tap other than a free throw, worth two or three points depending on the distance of the attempt from the basket. "Field Goal" is the official terminology used by the National Basketball Association in their rule book,...
. In high school and NCAA basketball, goaltending is also called when a player interferes with a free throw
Free throw
In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...
at any time in its flight towards the basket.
If goaltending is called for interference with a field goal, the shooting team is awarded the points for the field goal as if it had been made. In high school and NCAA basketball, if goaltending is called on a free throw, the shooting team is awarded one point and a technical foul
Technical foul
In basketball, a technical foul is any infraction of the rules penalized as a foul which does not involve physical contact during the course of play between players on the court, or is a foul by a non-player. The most common technical foul is for unsportsmanlike conduct...
is called against the offending player.
Goaltending is commonly confused with the related violation of basket interference
Basket interference
In basketball, basket interference is the violation of touching the ball or any part of the basket while the ball is on the rim of the basket or within the cylinder extending upwards from the rim, reaching up through the basket from below and touching the ball, be it inside or outside the...
. Basket interference is like goaltending in that it involves interference with a field goal when it may still go through the basket; when the violation is made by the defending team, the shooting team is awarded points for the field goal as if it had been made.