Making the Foul Shot

In basketball, free throws, but also known as foul shots, are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court (the free throw line; informally known as the charity stripe or foul line), and are usually awarded as a result a foul by the opposing team. Each free throw is worth one point, and normally more than one is awarded. The importance of free throws is nevertheless sometimes underestimated; games have been known to be defined by them, especially when the scoring teams are tight together. Teams who could have sealed the game on free throws can finish with a narrow win or even a loss because of failure behind the line. Free throws normally can be made at a high percentage. In the NBA, most players make between 70% and 80% of their attempts. Some good shooters (such as Reggie Miller, Mark Price, Chauncey Billups, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki and Ray Allen) can make as many as 90%-92%, while notoriously poor shooters (e.g. Shaquille O'Neal, Ben Wallace, or Adonal Foyle) may struggle to make 50% of them. Photo By: mollyali