Monday, October 24, 2005

Basketball 101: Free-throw lane violations

By Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

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It finally worked. Flip Saunders had used his crazy and creative offensive free-throw play in at least three other exhibition games and twice it failed because it fooled the referees.

But in the fourth quarter Saturday against Miami, it worked to perfection.

Antonio McDyess was shooting the second of two free throws. The Pistons were lined up around the lane as usual, except that Carlos Delfino had positioned himself deep in the baseline corner, behind the three-point line. Upon McDyess' release, the Pistons executed a series of screens and blockouts while Delfino raced to the basket unchecked along the baseline. He wound up slam-dunking the missed free-throw attempt in the face of the stunned Heat players.

This time the referees didn't whistle the play down. Before the game, Saunders warned them that he might try it and explained why he thought the play was legal.

"It's something they aren't used to seeing," Saunders said. "We caught them off-guard the first couple of times."

As long as Delfino starts from behind the three-point arc, and as long as he doesn't cross it until the ball is released, he can legally pursue the offensive rebound from that position.

The rule states, "Players not occupying lane spaces must remain on the court behind the three-point line and may not be touching the line or floor inside of the line when the ball is released."

Saunders will use that play with Delfino, Richard Hamilton or Carlos Arroyo, and he doesn't really care if other teams know it.

"If we execute it correctly, they shouldn't be able to guard it," Saunders said.

That's because, if everybody does his job, the play boils down to a foot race to the basket between one of the Pistons' fastest players and his defender.

Eventually, defending teams will position a player in the corner, as well. But, since the ball isn't there, that defender isn't allowed to impede the forward progress of the Pistons player. All he can do is try to beat him to the basket.

And Saunders likes his odds with speedsters Delfino, Hamilton and Arroyo.