Absurd.
You should have an advantage in being ahead. You have the lead and it's your job to keep it any way you can, so the option to foul is simply another choice.
It's the way the game has allways been played, and you want to change it because we now have a 3-point shot? If they're fouled in the act of shooting above the three-point line, they get 3 free throws.
That's about as fair as you can get.
also jn wrote:
<More importantly, changing the rule would require refs to make judgment calls on whether a foul was intentional or not. >
Then the refs also should not be allowed to judge what is a shot attempt or not. If I'm 93 feet from the hoop and i toss it towoards the basket as you intent me, it's a shot "attempt".
This happened in an NBA game. Okay so it wasn't 93 feet. But it was 35 feet. Lakers-Pistons 1989. Magic intentionally fouled Isiah Thomas. Thomas just flung it up at the hoop with no intention of it going in. It went in. Thus the discussion was that no way could you have NOT given Thomas a shooting FTA (or had he missed a pair of FTAs) as obviously he was *attempting* to shoot. How could you say he wasn't? The ball went in.
So likewise who can say my 93 foot attempt would not go in. 93 footers have been made. Plus since the NBA allows continuation shots, I can fling it towards the hoop a step or two
after you have intented me.
So indeed the rule states a 3 pt shot "attempt" gets 3 FTs. Fine. You intent my player I'm telling him to make any attempt whatsoever to move the ball in the direction of the hoop. Thus he be awarded 3 foul shots. Assuming his shot doesn't go in. B), then its a 3+1.
W.O.W. wrote:
<In international rules the team that is fouled gets to choose between freethrows or ball out of bounds for a new possession. I like that rule.>
Definitely a huge improvement over the present. But then would teams be given that option with the 1st foul of the 1/2?
I do see the point about the team that is ahead and has foul(s) to give earned that right by not using up their fouls earlier in the 1/2. Since they have fouls to give they should be able to use them whenever they want. If its while up 3 pts with 8 seconds left, so be it.